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Antonio  Maria  Bucaieli  y  Ursua. 


ANZA'S  CALIFORNIA 
EXPEDITIONS 

VOLUME  III 

THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

DIARIES  OF  ANZA,  FONT,  AND  EIXARCH,  AND 
NARRATIVES  BY  PALOU  AND  MORAGA 

TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  SPANISH 
MANUSCRIPTS  AND  EDITED 

BY 
HERBERT  EUGENE  BOLTON 

PROFESSOR  OF  AMERICAN  HISTORY  AND 

DIRECTOR  OF  THE   BANCROFT  LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PRESS 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA 

1930 


copyright,  1930,  by 
The  Regents  of  the  University  of  California 


THE  PUBLICATION  OF  THIS  VOLUME 
WAS  MADE   POSSIBLE   BY 

SIDNEY  M.  EHRMAN 


PREFACE 

For  the  second  Anza  expedition  five  diaries  were  kept — 
one  by  Anza,  two  by  Father  Font,  one  by  Father  Garces, 
and  one  by  Father  Eixarch.  In  this  volume  are  printed 
three  of  these  documents,  namely,  the  narratives  by  Anza 
and  Eixarch,  and  Font's  Short  Diary. 

Anza's  account  of  this  journey  is  much  fuller  than  any 
of  his  diaries  of  the  first  expedition,  and  it  is  written  in 
an  improved  style.  It  relates  the  march  from  Tubac  to 
the  San  Joaquin  River  (including  the  detour  to  San  Diego) 
and  the  return  to  Horcasitas.  Of  this  diary  the  original, 
which  was  copied  by  a  scribe  but  signed  by  Anza,  is  in  the 
archives  of  Mexico. 

Both  of  Father  Font's  diaries  cover  the  entire  second 
Anza  expedition  from  Horcasitas  and  back  to  that  place, 
including  a  narrative  of  the  outward  journey  from  Hor- 
casitas to  Tubac,  which  Anza's  diary  does  not  embrace. 
Font's  Short  Diary,  printed  in  this  volume,  is  an  excellent 
brief  account,  with  emphasis  on  latitudes,  directions,  and 
essential  details  of  topography.  This  diary  was  written 
by  Font  from  his  notes  at  Ures,  whither  he  went  soon  after 
returning  to  Horcasitas.  The  original  manuscript  is  in  the 
Bancroft  Library.  It  was  published  in  both  Spanish  and 
English  by  Frederick  J.  Teggart  in  the  Academy  of  Pacific 
Coast  History  Publications  (Vol.  Ill,  Berkeley,  1913). 
That  edition  is  here  referred  to  as  the  A.P.C.H.  text.  The 
translation  now  published  is  independent  of  that  one. 

Father  Eixarch  was  left  by  Anza  at  the  junction  of  the 
Gila  and  the  Colorado  to  conduct  missionary  work  among 
the  Yumas.  While  there  he  kept  a  diary  covering  the  time 
from  Anza's  departure  in  December  to  his  return  in  May. 

[V] 


PEEFACE 

It  is  a  simple  but  graphic  account  of  his  long  winter 
sojourn  on  the  Colorado  and  of  his  humble  daily  tasks  as 
missionary.  Of  Father  Eixarch's  diary  we  have  a  copy 
made  by  Font  and  inserted  in  his  Complete  Diary.  I  have 
taken  it  out  of  that  setting  and  printed  it  here  separately. 

The  narrative  of  the  founding  of  San  Francisco  is  com- 
pleted by  inserting  the  accounts  by  Father  Palou  and 
Lieutenant  Moraga,  the  two  principal  participants  in  the 
event  after  Anza  returned  to  Sonora.  Palou 's  narrative 
is  taken  from  his  Noticias  de  la  Nueva  California,  and 
Moraga 's  from  the  unpublished  official  manuscript  in  the 
Archivo  General  y  Publico,  Mexico. 

Father  Garces  accompanied  the  second  Anza  expedition 
from  Tubac  to  the  Colorado  River,  and  then  set  off  by 
himself  on  his  remarkable  tours  in  the  wilderness.  He  kept 
an  excellent  diary,  of  which  a  translation  was  published  by 
Dr.  Elliott  Coues  in  1900  under  the  title  On  the  Trail  of 
a  Spanish  Pioneer.  A  new  translation  of  this  important 
document  is  needed.  But  partly  because  the  Coues  edition 
exists,  and  partly  because  the  diary  deals  directly  with  the 
Anza  expedition  only  in  its  earlier  portions,  I  have  reserved 
a  new  edition  for  a  later  volume,  to  accompany  Father 
Escalante's  diaries,  between  which  and  the  Anza  expedi- 
tion this  Garces  diary  forms  a  nexus. 


LIST  OF  THE  DIARIES 
SECOND  EXPEDITION 

J.  Diario  de  la  Rutta,  y  Operaciones  que  Yo  el  Ynfra- 
scriptto  Thenientte  Coronel,  y  Capittan  del  R.^  Precidio 
de  Tubac  en  la  Provincia,  y  Governacion  de  Sonora ;  prac- 
tico  segunda  vez  de  la  mencionada  antterior,  a  la  California 
Setemptrional  de  Orden  del  Exmo  Senor  Baylio  Frey  D.^ 
Anttonio  Maria  Bucareli,  y  Ursua,  Virrey  Governador,  y 
Capittan  General  de  la  N.  E.  como  consta  de  su  Superior 

[vi] 


PREFACE 

Decretto  de  veintte,  y  quattro  de  Noviembre  del  ano 
proxime  passado  de  mil  settecienttos  setentta,  y  quattro,  a 
efectto  de  conducir  treintta  Soldados  con  su  oficial,  y  Sar- 
gentto  a  la  referida  California,  en  refuerzo  del  Real  Pre- 
cidio  de  San  Carlos  de  Monte  Rey  y  para  el  establecimientto 
del  Puerto  de  San  Francisco,  todos  Casados,  y  Recluttados 
en  la  enunciada  Provincia,  cuyas  mugeres,  hijos,  y  demas 
de  sus  Dependienttes,  se  espresan  mas  por  extenzo  avajo, 
con  el  tottal  de  los  que  assienden  en  estta  Expedicion.  Hor- 
casitas,  October  23,  1775-Horcasitas,  June  1,  1776.  Archivo 
General  y  Publico,  Mexico,  Historia,  Tomo  396,  Original. 
Signed  by  Anza  but  written  in  another  hand. 

K.  Diario  que  forma  el  P.  Fr.  Pedro  Font  Pd.or  xVp.co 
del  Colegio  de  la  SM  Cruz  de  Queretaro,  sacado  del  borra- 
dor  que  escrivio  en  el  camino,  del  viage  que  hizo  a  Monterey 
y  Puerto  de  S.^i  Francisco  en  Compania  del  S.^  Theniente 
Coronel  de  Cavalleria  Capitan  del  Presidio  de  Tubac,  y 
Comandante  de  la  expedicion  de  conduccion  de  familias  y 
soldados  para  el  nuevo  establecimiento  de  aquel  Puerto, 
D.^  Juan  Bautista  de  Anza,  por  orden  y  disposicion  del 
Ex.mo  s.r  Theniente  General  Fr.  D.n  Antonio  Maria  Buca- 
reli,  y  Ursua,  Virrey,  Governador,  y  Cap.^  Gen.l  ^q  esta 
Nueva  Espana,  comunicada  al  R.do  P.  Guardian  del  Colegio 
de  la  S.ta  Cruz  de  Queretaro  Fr.  Romualdo  Cartagena  por 
carta  que  le  escribio  dada  a  2.  de  Enero  de  1775,  y  intimada 
a  mi  por  dicho  R.  P.  Guardian  por  carta,  su  fecha  de  20.  de 
Enero  del  mismo  aiio,  con  encargo  de  acompanar  a  dicho 
S.r  Comandante  en  todo  el  viage  y  de  observar  las  alturas 
del  camino. 

Acompaiia  a  este  diario  un  mapa  de  todo  el  viage,  en  el 
qual  se  seiiala  con  puntos  el  camino,  se  expressan  por 
numeros  las  jornadas,  y  se  distinguen  por  abececedario 
los  lugares  6  parages  particulares,  de  que  se  hace  mencion 
en  este  diario.  Todo  hecho  y  trabajado  de  buelta  del  viage 
en  esta  Mission  de  Ures,  por  el  mes  de  Junio  del  presente 

[vii] 


PREFACE 

ano  1776.  Horcasitas,  September  29, 1775-Horcasitas,  June 
23,  1776.  Original  in  the  Bancroft  Library,  University  of 
California. 

L.  Diario  del  P.  Fr.  Thomas  Eixarch,  que  el  hizo  en  el 
Rio  Colorado.  This  diary,  extending  from  December  4, 
1775,  to  May  1,  1776,  was  kept  by  Father  Eixarch  at  the 
junction  of  the  Gila  and  Colorado  rivers  during  the  time 
between  Anza's  departure  for  Monterey  and  his  return 
therefrom.  It  was  copied  by  Font  in  his  complete  diary 
(0),  folios  271-311,  and  is  here  printed  from  that  text. 

M.  Account  of  the  Founding  of  San  Francisco,  by  Fray 
Francisco  Palou.    From  his  Noticias  de  Nueva  California. 

N.  Carta  del  Then.te  T>n  Josef  [Joachin]  de  Moraga 
en  que  da  quenta  [de  la]  Ocupacion  del  Puerto  de  S. 
Fran.co  Ereccion  de  una  Mision,  terreno  reconocido,  y 
demas  Progresos.  No.  l.o  Copy.  Undated.  Archivo  Gene- 
ral y  Publico,  Mexico.  Provincias  Internas,  Tomo  23.  One 
corner  of  the  manuscript  is  torn  off. 

0.  Diario  que  formo  el  P.  P.^or  Ap.co  Fr.  Pedro  Font 
Missionero  Apostolico  del  Colegio  de  la  Santa  Cruz  de 
Queretaro,  en  el  viage  que  hizo  a  Monterey  por  orden  del 
Exm.o  S.r  Theniente  General  el  Baylio  Frey  D.^  Antonio 
Maria  Bucareli  y  Ursua,  Virrey,  Governador,  y  Capitan 
General  de  esta  Nueva  Espana,  comunicada  al  R.^o  p. 
Guardian  del  Colegio  de  la  Santa  Cruz  Fr.  Romualdo  Car- 
tagena por  carta  que  le  escribio  dada  a  2.  de  Enero  de 
1775,  e  intimada  a  mi  por  dicho  HA^  P.  Guardian  por 
carta  que  me  escribio,  su  fecha  de  20.  de  Enero  del  mismo 
aiio  1775,  con  encargo  de  ir  acompaiiando  en  todo  el  viage 
de  ida  y  buelta  al  S.^  Th.te  Coronel  de  Cavalleria,  y  Capitan 
del  Real  Presidio  de  Tubac,  B.^  Juan  Bautista  de  Ansa, 
Comandante  de  esta  Expedicion,  y  segunda  entrada  que 
hizo  al  Puerto  de  Monterey  por  el  Rio  Colorado,  con  la 
conduccion  de  algunas  Familias  para  ocupar  con  ellas  y 
poblar  el  Puerto  de  San  Francisco,  como  a  su  Capellan  y 

[viii] 


PEEFACE 

de  la  Gente,  y  con  encargo  de  observar  las  Alturas  y  rumbos 
del  terreno,  por  haverse  assi  determinado  en  Mexico  en  la 
Real  Junta  de  Guerra,  y  Eeal  Hacienda.  Horcasitas,  Sep- 
tember 29,  1775-Tubutama,  May  11,  1777.  Original  in  the 
John  Carter  Brown  Library,  Brown  University,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island. 

P.  Diario  formado  por  el  Padre  Fray  Francisco  Garces 
Hijo  del  Colegio  de  la  Santa  Cru2;  de  Queretaro,  en  el  viage 
que  ha  hecho  ano  de  1775,  por  mandado  del  Exmo.  Senor 
Don  Frey  Antonio  Maria  Bucareli,  y  Ursua,  Theniente 
General,  Virrey,  Governador  y  Capitan  General  de  esta 
Nueva  Espana,  intimado  por  su  Carta  de  2.  de  Enero  del 
mismo  ano;  determinado  en  la  Junta  de  Guerra  hecha  en 
Mexico  en  28  de  Noviembre  del  ano  antecedente;  y  asi 
mismo  mandado  por  el  R.  P.  Fray  Romualdo  Cartagena, 
Guardian  del  dho.  Colegio,  en  Carta  de  20  de  Enero  de  75, 
y  por  su  subcesor  el  R.  P.  Fray  Diego  Ximenez,  en  Carta 
de  17  Febrero  del  mismo  aiio,  en  las  que  me  ordenan,  que 
acompaiiado  de  otro  Religioso,  me  junte,  con  el  Theniente 
Coronel  D.  Juan  Baptista  de  Ansa,  y  el  R.  P.  Fray  Pedro 
Font,  que  van  hasta  el  Puerto  de  San  Francisco;  y  que 
acompanandolos  hasta  el  Rio  Colorado  espere  alii  su  buelta 
con  el  Companero  que  Ueve,  y  en  este  intermedio :  examine 
los  parages,  trate  con  las  Naciones  inmediatas,  y  explore 
el  animo,  y  disposicion  de  sus  Naturales  al  Cathecismo,  y 
al  Vasallage  de  nuestro  Soberano.  San  Xavier  del  Bac, 
October  1,  1775-Saii  Xavier  del  Bac,  September  17,  1776. 
Archivo  General  de  Indias,  Sevilla,  104-6-18. 

The  diary  is  followed  by  Reflexiones  Sobre  el  Diario, 
signed  at  Tubutama,  January  3,  1777.  Accompanied  by  a 
map  made  in  Tubutama  by  Father  Font  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Father  Garces,  where  both  this  diary  and  the  long 
one  by  Father  Font  were  signed.  An  English  translation 
of  this  diary,  together  with  the  map,  was  printed  by  Elliott 
Coues  under  the  title  On  the  Trail  of  a  Spanish  Pioneer 
(2  vols.),  New  York,  1900. 

[ix] 


PREFACE 


RETRACING  THE  TRAIL 

No  small  part  of  the  pleasure  derived  from  the  study 
of  Anza's  California  expeditions  has  come  to  me  through 
retracing'  his  trails.  I  think  it  safe  to  say  that  no  pioneer 
routes  of  such  great  length  in  any  country's  history  have 
ever  been  so  thoroughly  explored  and  identified  as  I  have 
explored  and  identified  these.  Anza  traveled  twice  and 
back  from  Mexico  City  to  Monterey  (once  to  Suisun  Bay), 
a  distance  of  more  than  ten  thousand  miles.  Between  these 
points  I  have  retraced  exactly  or  approximately  his  entire 
journeys. 

This  work,  or  rather  this  play,  has  been  piecemeal,  as 
other  tasks  have  permitted.  Some  parts  of  the  trail  have 
been  covered  in  vacation  trips,  others  in  the  solemn  guise 
of  ''research.''  Nor  has  the  ground  been  covered  in  a 
geographically  consecutive  order.  Between  Mexico  City 
and  Culiacan,  where  Anza  began  to  raise  his  colony,  I  have 
followed  his  approximate  route  by  railroad,  before  1908  to 
Guadalajara  and  in  1929  and  1930  to  Culiacan.  From 
this  point  to  Horcasitas  I  retraced  Anza's  approximate 
trail  nearly  all  the  way  by  automobile  in  January,  1930. 
For  that  part  of  the  stretch,  as  for  the  preceding  one,  no 
diaries  were  kept,  but  we  know  that  Anza  went  through 
Mocorito,  Sinaloa,  Fuerte,  and  Alamos,  and  through  these 
places  I  have  followed  the  old  C  amino  Real,  which  he 
doubtless  traveled. 

For  the  nearly  two  thousand  miles  from  Horcasitas  to 
Suisun  Bay,  three  or  four  times  covered  by  the  diaries,  I 
have  actually  identified  and  seen  with  my  own  eyes  nearly 
every  water  hole  and  camp  site.  At  Horcasitas,  where  the 
diaries  start,  my  exploration  in  detail  began.  Once  I  drove 
over  the  mountain  trail  by  which  Font  rode  from  there  to 
Ures  while  waiting  for  the  second  expedition  to  start — and 
when  I  went  over  it  the  road  was  no  boulevard.    Between 


PEEFACE 

Horcasitas  and  Tucson  I  have  covered  most  of  the  route 
four  times  and  some  of  it  six  or  eight  times  by  horse  power, 
automobile,  and  train.  My  first  journey  over  this  stretch 
was  in  1911,  my  last  in  1930.  From  Tucson  to  San  Fran- 
cisco I  made  my  first  general  reconnoissance  in  1909.  In 
the  succeeding  two  decades  I  have  examined  the  entire 
stretch  in  detail.  Anza's  route  from  Tubac  by  way  of 
Altar  Valley  to  Yuma  I  explored  minutely  in  December- 
January,  1927-1928.  In  May,  1929,  I  covered  the  stretch 
from  Tucson  to  Casa  Grande  and  thence  down  the  Gila  to 
Yuma,  not  on  the  highway,  but  through  the  brush  where 
Anza  led.  At  this  time,  too,  I  trailed  the  ''hard  riding 
captain,"  exactly  most  of  the  way,  otherwise  approxi- 
mately, from  Yuma  down  the  Colorado  to  Santa  Olaya, 
thence  across  the  desert  to  Cerro  Prieto,  through  Cocopah 
Range  near  Signal  Mountain,  past  the  head  of  Laguna 
Salada  to  Anza's  Santo  Tomas  in  the  mountains  of  Lower 
California.  Retracing  the  canyon  I  followed  the  trail 
northward  to  Santa  Rosa  (at  Yuha  Well),  to  San  Sebastian 
(at  Harper's  Well),  thence  up  Borrego  Valley  to  Coyote 
Canyon  at  Beatty's  Ranch.  At  this  time  too,  I  closely 
followed  Anza's  return  routes  across  the  Colorado  Desert, 
both  the  California  portion  and  the  Mexico  part. 

I  first  trailed  Anza  up  and  down  Coyote  Canyon  and 
across  Cahuilla  Valley  in  1920  and  1921.  For  this  short 
stretch  I  had  as  my  assistant  Mr.  W.  G.  Paden.  The  Coyote 
Canyon  part  was  made  on  horseback  with  the  thermometer 
114°  at  sunrise  at  Beatty's  Ranch.  I  retraced  Cahuilla 
Valley  and  both  ascended  and  descended  Bautista  Canyon 
in  1924.  From  Vallevista  to  Riverside  I  have  been  six 
times  over  most  of  the  trail,  my  first  reconnoissance  being 
made  about  1916  and  my  last  in  1930. 

From  Riverside  to  San  Francisco  and  around  the  Bay 
to  Berkeley  I  have  been  over  the  ground  by  train  and 
automobile  many  times  since  1909,  and  from  Berkeley  to 

[xi] 


PREFACE 

Suisun  Bay  several  times.  For  most  of  this  distance  Anza's 
route  was  exactly  on  or  close  to  the  present  highway,  but 
a  number  of  special  side  trips  have  been  necessary.  Some 
of  these  may  be  mentioned.  In  1929  I  carefully  traced 
Anza's  route  from  Riverside  down  the  river  to  the  South- 
ern Pacific  bridge,  to  Pedley,  across  the  plains  to  Ontario, 
and  around  the  hills  through  Laverne  to  San  Gabriel.  Two 
special  trips  were  necessary  to  verify  points  between  Cala- 
basas  and  Camarillo  (1929,  1930).  The  trail  around  the 
coast  between  Gaviota  and  Casmalia  is  easily  followed  by 
train,  but  is  not  readily  accessible  by  automobile.  To  get 
a  satisfactory  view,  in  1929  I  made  three  side  trips  into  this 
region  from  Gaviota  and  Lompoc. 

From  Casmalia  to  Paso  Robles  I  have  closely  followed 
Anza  by  automobile,  going  through  Guadalupe,  Callender, 
Pismo,  Price  Canyon,  San  Luis  Obispo,  and  Santa  Mar- 
garita. At  Paso  Robles  Anza  turned  off  to  the  left  across 
the  hills  through  Nacimiento  Ranch,  up  San  Antonio 
River  to  Mission  San  Antonio,  returning  to  Salinas  Valley 
by  way  of  Kent  Canyon  to  King  City.  This  stretch  I 
explored  in  detail,  part  of  it  for  the  second  and  third  time, 
in  1929  and  1930.  From  King  City  to  Monterey,  thence 
to  Salinas  and  San  Juan,  and  along  Gilroy  Valley,  the 
highway  again  closely  follows  Anza's  route.  At  Coyote 
Anza  swung  around  the  western  side  of  the  valley  past 
Saratoga  to  Palo  Alto.  This  detour  I  have  especially 
traced.  Most  of  Anza's  trails  up  and  down  the  Peninsula 
and  around  the  bay  to  Berkeley,  thence  to  Antioch,  I  have 
covered  frequently,  going  twice  from  Berkeley  to  Antioch 
for  this  special  purpose.  In  1928  I  traced  the  trail  from 
Antioch  past  Bethany,  across  the  hills  to  Crane  Ridge,  up 
Mocho  Creek,  and  down  San  Antonio  Valley  behind  Mt. 
Hamilton  to  Coyote  Creek,  along  whose  course  Anza 
returned  to  Gilroy  Valley.  In  1930  I  ascended  Coyote 
Creek,  and  threaded  Canada  de  los  Osos. 

[xii] 


PREFACE 

So  long"  a  trail,  of  course,  has  had  its  incidents.  Between 
Mexico  City  and  Alamos,  more  than  a  thousand  miles,  I 
looked  through  the  eyes  of  Coronado  as  well  as  of  Anza. 
It  was  a  new  experience  for  me  to  load  my  machine  on  a 
tiny  pango  boat  and  have  it  paddled  across  Fuerte  River. 
It  was  not  wholly  amusing  to  have  my  Ford  sit  calmly 
down  in  the  middle  of  the  Sonora  River  near  Ures  and 
wait  an  hour  for  a  span  of  mules  to  come  along  and  pull 
us  out.  It  was  diverting  to  see  the  macho  refuse  to  work, 
kick  himself  out  of  harness,  and  let  his  mate  the  mula  pull 
the  machine  out  alone,  the  macho  appearing  to  have  great 
contempt  for  the  old  Ford  which  we  drove.  Because  of  our 
delay,  we  spent  that  night  at  a  very  humble  ranch  house 
by  the  roadside.  I  abused  my  hospitality  by  talking  to 
the  family  and  their  assembled  neighbors  till  midnight, 
telling  them  tales  of  Anza  and  his  colony.  I,  at  least, 
profited  from  the  session,  for  I  was  weary  enough  to  sleep 
soundly  on  the  soft  side  of  an  adobe  brick  floor,  jokingly 
called  by  our  kindly  hostess  ^^una  cama  de  esprings.'' 

While  driving  over  the  mountains  from  Magdalena  with 
my  lone  boy  and  my  single  horse  I  was  glad  when  we  got 
through  the  canyon  where  the  Yaquis  just  a  few  days 
previously  had  waylaid  half  a  dozen  Mexicans.  Being 
bone  dry  on  top,  the  arroyo  at  Arivaipa  looked  innocent 
enough,  but  soon  the  automobiles  were  axle  deep  in  water 
and  quicksand  and  still  sinking.  A  mule  and  a  horse 
played  the  part  of  the  Good  Samaritan  and  pulled  both 
of  our  machines  out.  I  shall  never  forget  the  night  spent 
at  Sonoita,  because  of  the  over  friendliness  of  a  dog  which 
we  could  not  shake.  It  was  the  breaking  of  a  spring  of 
the  Dodge  and  the  consequent  day's  delay  that  gave  me 
time  for  the  difficult  fourteen-mile  walk  necessary  to  visit 
the  remarkable  Cabeza  Prieta  Tanks,  where  Anza  revived 
his  thirsty  caravan.  At  Arroyo  Pinto  I  carried  stones  all 
night  to  build  a  road  over  which  to  get  our  machine  out 

[xiii] 


PREFACE 

of  the  sand.  The  experience  is  pleasanter  in  retrospect 
than  it  was  at  the  time.  My  trip  through  Livermore  Valley 
was  made  memorable  by  being  bitten  by  a  hound  which  it 
was  feared  had  rabies.  In  spite  of  the  injury  he  had  done 
me  I  hoped  that  he  might  live — and  he  did,  welcome  proof 
that  the  fears  were  groundless. 

These  journeys  have  afforded  me  cherished  acquaint- 
ances. Everywhere  along  the  trail  I  have  found  residents 
(where  there  are  any)  enthusiastic  to  lend  a  helping  hand. 
Generally  I  have  employed  a  driver  in  order  to  be  free 
to  make  and  record  observations.  Between  Culiacan  and 
Horcasitas  I  had  as  assistants  Seiiores  Heredia  and  Gastelu, 
each  for  a  part  of  the  stretch.  When  in  1911  I  went  from 
Magdalena  over  the  mountains  by  horse  and  buggy,  Seiior 
Gomez  was  driver.  For  the  four  hundred  mile  trip  from 
Tubac,  over  Sierra  del  Pajarito,  down  Altar  Valley  and 
across  the  Papagueria  to  Yuma,  covered  in  1927-1928, 1  was 
equipped  with  a  Studebaker  Six  and  a  Dodge  truck.  Much 
of  the  way  being  uninhabited  and  seldom  seen  by  hum^an 
beings,  we  carried  from  Tucson  ninety  gallons  of  gasoline. 
John  Anderson  and  ''Jimmy"  Strickland,  University  of 
Arizona  boys,  went  as  drivers,  and  Dean  Frank  C.  Lock- 
wood  as  counsel  and  camp  boss.  At  Sonoita  on  this  trip 
I  was  fortunate  to  pick  up  and  take  with  me  Antonio 
Lopez,  who  has  spent  most  of  his  life  on  the  trail  between 
Sonoita  and  Yuma.  From  Tucson  to  Casa  Grande  and 
Yuma  I  v/as  assisted  in  1929  by  Clayton  Lockett.  At  Gila 
Bend  Dean  Lockwood  joined  us  and  again  I  enjoyed  his 
genial  and  cultured  companionship.  From  Yuma  through 
Lower  California  to  Cerro  Prieto  and  Yuha  Well,  thence 
to  Harper's  Well  and  up  Borrego  Valley  to  Beatty's  Ranch, 
and  several  times  across  Imperial  Valley,  Verne  Stanley 
of  Brawley  was  my  driver.  For  two  days  we  were  accom- 
panied by  Mr.  John  Allen  of  Brawley.  For  the  stretch  up 
Coyote  Canyon  and  across  Cahuilla  Valley  I  was  assisted 

[xiv] 


PREFACE 

by  the  genial  Mr.  Fred  Clark,  and  by  Mr.  W.  G.  Paden,  one 
of  my  students,  as  I  have  already  stated. 

On  my  first  trip  down  Bautista  -C  any  on  I  was  accom- 
panied by  Hon.  J.  R.  Knowland,  on  the  occasion  of  the 
marking  of  San  Carlos  Pass  on  the  basis  of  my  identifica- 
tion. In  1929  my  son  Herbert  drove  for  me  on  an  extended 
reconnoissance,  during  which  we  rechecked  the  trail  all  the 
way  from  Vallevista  to  King  City.  With  him  as  com- 
panion, in  1930  I  again  descended  Coyote  Canyon  on  horse- 
back, and  also  checked  the  route  between  Los  Angeles  and 
San  Diego.  For  several  portions  of  the  trail  and  especially 
for  the  stretch  from  Berkeley  to  Antioch  and  through  the 
Coast  Range  to  Coyote  Creek  my  wife,  Gertrude  Janes 
Bolton,  has  assisted  me. 


[XV] 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Preface   v 

Retracing  the  Trail x 

Anza's  Diary  of  the  Second  Anza  Expedition, 
1775-1776  (J) 1 

Font's  Short  Diary  of  the  Second  Anza  Expedi- 
tion, 1775-1776  (K) 201 

Eixarch's  Diary  of  His  Winter  on  the  Colorado, 
1775-1776  (L) 309 

Pal6u's  Account  of  the  Founding  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, 1776  (M) 383 

Moraga's  Account  of  the  Founding  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, 1776  (N) 407 


[xvii] 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Antonio  Maria  Bucareli  y  Ursua Frontispiece 

Mission  San  Xavier  del  Bac Facing  page    16 

La  Frente  Negra 16 

Sacaton,  in  the  heart  of  Pima  Land 17 

Pima  house  and  storage  shed 17 

Pima  women 32 

Cocomaricopa  women 32 

Drinking  from  a  desert  pozo 33 

The  Colorado  River  at  Yuma  Junction 33 

The  desert  north  of  Santa  Rosa  de  las  Lajas 48 

In  Coyote  Canyon 48 

Monument  marking  San  Carlos  Pass 64 

First  page  of  Anza's  diary 80 

A  page  of  Anza's  diary 96 

Last  page  of  Anza's  diary 192 

Ground  plan  of  Casa  Grande 196 

First  page  of  Font's  Short  Diary 208 

The  villages  of  Mescaltitdn.  Map  by  Pantoja  y  Arriaga,  1782 240 

Last  page  of  Font's  Short  Diary 304 

First  page  of  Eixarch's  diary 320 

Page  of  baptismal  record  of  Oquitoa  mission,  showing  Father 

Eixarch's  signatures 368 

Page  of  Moraga's  account  of  the  founding  of  San  Francisco 384 


[xviii] 


ANZA'S  DIAEY 
1775-1776 


(J) 


DIARY  OF  THE  MARCH  AND  EXPLORATIONS 
WHICH  I,  THE  UNDERSIGNED  LIEUTENANT- 
COLONEL  AND  CAPTAIN  OF  THE  ROYAL  PRE- 
SIDIO OF  TUBAC  IN  THE  PROVINCE  AND  GOVERN- 
MENT OF  SONORA,  AM  MAKING  A  SECOND  TIME 
FROM  THE  FOREGOING  PROVINCE  TO  NORTHERN 
CALIFORNIA. 

By  order  of  the  most  excellent  Senor  Baylio  Frey 
Don  Antonio  Maria  Bucareli  y  Ursua,  Viceroy,  Gov- 
ernor, and  Captain-General  of  New  Spain,  as  is 
shown  by  his  superior  decree  of  the  24th  of  Novem- 
ber of  the  past  year  of  1774,  for  the  purpose  of 
escorting  thirty  soldiers  with  their  commander  and 
sergeant  to  the  California  named,  for  the  reinforce- 
ment of  the  royal  presidio  of  San  Carlos  de  Monte 
Rey,  and  for  the  establishment  of  the  port  of  San 
Francisco,  all  married  and  all  recruited  in  the  prov- 
ince named,  and  whose  women  and  children  and 
other  dependents  are  set  forth  more  at  length  below, 
together  with  the  total  number  of  those  going  upon 
this  expedition/ 

1  Diario  de  la  Rutta,  y  Operaciones  que  Yo  .  .  .  practice  segnnda 
vez  ...  a  la  California  Setemptrional.  A.  G.  P.  M.  Historia,  Tomo 
396.  The  main  division  headings  in  this  document  were  made  by 
the  editor. 


[xxi] 


PEELIMIN  ARIES 

Persons  Included  in  the  Expedition 

The  commander,  Don  Juan  Bautista  de  Anza....      1 
The  father  chaplain  de  propaganda  fide  of  the 
College   of  the   Cross   of   Queretaro,   Fray 

Pedro  Font  1 

Fathers  Fray  Francisco  Garces  and  Fray 
Thomas  Eciarc/  appointed  by  his  Excellency 
for  the  purpose  of  remaining  at  the  Colorado 
River  to  preach  and  teach  the  true  faith  to 

its  inhabitants  until  I  return 2 

Alferez  Don  Joseph  Joachin  Moraga 1 

Sergeant  Juan  Pablo  Grijalva 1 

Ten  soldiers  of  the  presidio  named  and  in  my 
charge,  to  escort  the  expedition  and  to  re- 
turn with  me 10 

Twenty-eight  soldiers,  eight  of  them,  with  the 
commander  and  sergeant,  taken  from  the 
presidios  of  the  province  named,  the  other 
twenty  recruited  by  the  same  commander  in 

the  alcaldias  of  the  province 28 

Twenty-nine  women,  wives  of  the  soldiers 29 

Total  Forward 73 

1  Commonly  spelled  Eixarcli  or  Eisarch. 


2        THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Forward 73 

One  hundred  and  thirty-six  persons  of  both 
sexes  and  all  ages,  belonging  to  the  same  sol- 
diers and  to  four  other  volunteer  families, 
who  are  going  to  live  in  the  California  named  136 

Fifteen  muleteers 15 

Three  cowboys  3 

Three  servants  of  the  fathers 3 

Four  of  my  servants 4 

Five  interpreters  of  the  Pima,  Yuma,  Cajuenchi, 

and  Nifora^  languages 5 

A  commissary  for  the  expedition 1 

Number  of  persons^ 240 

One  hundred  and  forty  pack  mules  are  being 
taken  to  carry  provisions,  munitions  of  war,  the  bag- 
gage of  all  persons  going,  and  other  effects  of  the 
expedition,  and  presents  brought  in  the  name  of  his 
Majesty  for  the  heathen  on  the  way. 

Item :  Twenty-five  pack  mules  belonging  to  mem- 
bers of  the  troop. 

1  The  name  Niforas  usually  referred  to  the  Yavapai  tribe  or  to 
captives  sold  to  the  Spaniards.  Father  Eixarch,  who  spent  the  winter 
of  1775-1776  at  the  Yuma  junction,  wrote  of  these  Niforas:  *'I  may 
note  here  that  in  this  country  on  the  frontiers  of  the  enemies,  at  the 
presidio  of  Tubac,  for  example,  they  buy  or  rather  barter  for  little 
captives  from  the  heathen.  These  Indians  raise  them,  and  when  they 
wish  they  sell  them  to  white  people,  as  if  they  were  slaves,  which  is 
altogether  contrary  to  law."  (Father  Thomas  Eixarch,  Diary,  entry 
for  December  17.) 

2  Father  Font  makes  computations  which  show  that  this  figure  is 
not  exactly  correct. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  3 

Item:  Two  hundred  and  twenty  saddle  animals 
belonging  to  the  expedition. 

Item:  One  hundred  and  twenty  saddle  animals 
belonging  to  members  of  the  troop. 

Item :  Three  hundred  and  two  beef  cattle  to  pro- 
vision the  expedition  and  for  the  succor  of  the  new 
establishments. 

Introduction 

Well  notorious,  and  accredited  by  original  docu- 
ments which  I  have  sent  to  his  Excellency  the 
Viceroy,  are  the  efforts  which  I  have  made  in  order 
that  this  expedition  might  begin  the  march  for  its 
destination  at  the  end  of  the  month  just  past  from 
the  presidio  in  my  charge,  whence  it  sets  forth 
today.  But,  as  I  have  informed  his  Excellency,  the 
event  which  took  place  here  on  the  7th  of  September 
cited,  resulting  in  the  theft  of  all  its  horse  herd  by 
the  common  enemy,  the  Apaches,  together  with  other 
occurrences,  prevented  the  arrival  early  in  the  same 
month  of  September  of  the  ten  soldiers  who  were  to 
go  from  this  presidio  as  escort  and  protection  of  the 
expedition.  And  without  them  it  was  not  possible 
to  make  the  march  from  the  presidio  of  San  Miguel, 
to  which  they  were  ordered,  to  the  presidio  of  Tubac, 
because  the  whole  distance  is  greatly  exposed  to 
danger,  and  frequent  misfortunes  are  being  experi- 
enced in  traveling  over  it.^ 

1  Father  Font  corroborates  Anza  's  statement  regarding  the  dan- 
gers on  this  stretch. 


4        THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

As  soon  as  I  got  the  news  of  that  occurrence  I 
made  arrangements  to  send  from  San  Miguel  to 
Tubac  saddle  animals  to  carry  the  ten  soldiers  men- 
tioned; nevertheless,  the  best  that  could  be  done, 
since  the  month  was  well  under  way,  was  that  these 
ten  soldiers  should  arrive  at  San  Miguel  and  we  set 
out  from  that  presidio  for  Tubac  on  the  29th  of 
the  month  named.^  Before  our  departure  I  made 
efforts  to  increase  the  escort,  in  order  to  make  the 
journey  with  some  security,  but  because  of  the  im- 
poverished condition  to  which  the  citizens  and  the 
militia  of  the  province  are  reduced  my  efforts  had 
no  more  effect  than  the  addition  of  five  men.  But, 
in  spite  of  having  seen  enemies  on  the  march  when 
only  three  days'  travel  from  San  Miguel,  and  of 
having  made  the  march  through  one  of  the  regions 
reputed  to  be  most  dangerous,  divine  providence 
was  pleased  to  bring  the  expedition  in  safety  as  far 
as  Tubac,  where  it  arrived,  by  regular  marches  and 
with  three  days  of  rest,  on  the  16th  of  October. 

I  should  have  given  orders  for  the  continuation 
of  our  journey  immediately  if  I  had  not  been  pre- 
vented by  the  absence  of  the  family  of  the  sergeant 
already  named.  They  were  not  at  Tubac  for  the 
reasons  which  I  have  reported  to  his  Excellency, 
having  been  sent  to  the  presidio  of  Terrenate,  but 
for  this  purpose  they  returned  to  this  presidio  of 
Tubac  on  the  afternoon  of  the  21st  of  the  month, 
whereby  the  assembling  of  everybody  was  com- 
pleted. 

1  For  the  journey  of  the  expedition  from  San  Miguel  to  Tubac  we 
have  the  remarkable  diary  of  Father  Font. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  5 

For  greater  accuracy  in  the  estimate  of  leagues 
it  has  occurred  to  me  to  note  also  the  number  of 
hours  traveled,  for  usually  they  correspond  in  simi- 
lar roads  and  country.  But  since  these  conditions 
are  not  found  in  all  the  marches,  and  since  it  is 
necessary  to  make  some  stops,  I  shall  always  confine 
myself  to  setting  down  my  estimate  of  the  leagues 
based  on  the  foregoing  assumption.  To  this  I  may 
add  that  although  I  shall  note  here  the  observations 
which  may  be  made  with  the  instrument  which  for 
this  purpose  his  Excellency  the  Viceroy  has  pro- 
vided the  expedition,  I  do  not  assert  that  they  will 
be  of  the  strictest  accuracy,  since  I  am  told  that  the 
tables  by  which  we  are  guided  need  correction  in 
order  to  make  them  serviceable.  To  such  results 
as  are  obtained  I  shall  add  the  days,  and  the  lati- 
tudes given  by  the  instrument,  setting  them  down 
separately  at  the  end  of  this  diary.^ 

1  See  pp.  194-196. 


FROM  TUBAC  TO  THE  GILA 

Monday,  October  23,  1775.— All  the  foregoing 
having  been  arranged  and  noted ;  Mass  having  been 
chanted  with  all  the  solemnity  possible  on  the 
Sunday  preceding  for  the  purpose  of  invoking  the 
divine  aid  in  this  expedition,  all  its  members  being 
present;  and  the  Most  Holy  Virgin  of  Guadalupe, 
under  the  advocation  of  her  Immaculate  Conception, 
the  Prince  Senor  San  Miguel,  and  San  Francisco 
de  Assis  having  been  named  as  its  protectors,  at 
eleven  today  the  march  was  begun  toward  the  north. 
Making  some  minor  turns  to  the  northeast,  and 
having  traveled  four  hours  and  as  many  leagues,  we 
halted  at  the  place  which  they  call  La  Canoa,^  sit- 
uated on  the  River  of  Tubac.  Here  during  most  of 
the  year  water  is  found,  although  it  is  not  running, 
but  by  a  little  digging  in  the  sand  enough  can  be  had 
for  whatever  may  be  required. 

At  the  end  of  the  afternoon  today  the  wife  of  one 
of  the  soldiers  of  the  expedition  began  to  feel  the 
first  pains  of  childbirth.  We  aided  her  immediately 
with  the  shelter  of  a  field  tent  and  other  things  use- 

1  The  name  La  Canoa  (The  Canoe)  is  preserved  today  in  La 
Canoa  Ranch,  about  fifteen  miles  north  of  Tubac.  The  name  formerly 
applied  to  a  place  a  mile  further  south.  Font  gives  the  distance  of 
the  camp  as  five  leagues  from  Tubac.  La  Canoa  Ranch  once  em- 
braced a  long  stretch  down  the  Santa  Cruz  River.  The  ranch,  now 
the  property  of  Mr.  Howell  Manning,  is  devoted  to  the  breeding  of 
Arabian  horses  and  Hereford  cattle.  The  River  of  Tubac,  of  course, 
was  the  Santa  Cruz.  Local  tradition  says  that  in  this  case  canoa 
meant  trough. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  7 

ful  in  the  case  and  obtainable  on  the  road,  and  she 
successfully  gave  birth  to  a  very  lusty  boy  at  nine 
o  'clock  at  night,  the  rest  of  which  was  passed  without 
any  other  happening. — Summary  of  Leagues:  1/ 
From  the  presidio  of  Tubac  to  La  Canoa,  4  leagues. 

October  24. — At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  it 
not  having  been  possible  by  means  of  the  medicines 
which  had  been  applied  in  the  previous  hours,  to 
remove  the  afterbirth  from  our  mother,  other  vari- 
ous troubles  befell  her.  As  a  result  she  was  taken 
with  paroxysms  of  death,  and  after  the  sacraments 
of  penance  and  extreme  unction  had  been  adminis- 
tered to  her,  with  the  aid  of  the  fathers  who  accom- 
pany us  she  rendered  up  her  spirit  at  a  quarter 
to  four.^ 

At  seven  o'clock  today  it  began  to  rain,  and  con- 
tinued until  half  past  ten.  For  this  reason  and 
because  it  was  necessary  to  divide  the  march  from 
here  to  San  Xavier  del  Bac,  since  there  was  no  water 
on  the  way,  we  remained  here  this  morning.  Accord- 
ing to  custom,  in  the  future  we  shall  call  this  kind  of 
march  a  tardeada,  which  is  practiced  when  it  is  not 
possible  to  accomplish  the  whole  of  it  in  one  day. 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  set  forth  on 
the  march,  the  meadows  of  the  river  continuing  most 

1  The  numbers  1-46  (marginal  in  the  original)  represent  the  num- 
ber of  days  of  actual  marching.  They  extend  only  as  far  as  San 
Gabriel.  Anza  by  a  slip  numbered  the  first  entry  twice,  that  is,  at 
the  beginning  and  again  at  the  end.  The  result  is  that  for  each  of 
the  following  entries  the  number  assigned  is  one  too  high.  I  have 
corrected  the  misplacement. 

2  The  ' '  lusty  boy,  * '  born  the  day  before,  survived  his  mother  and 
reached  California. 


8        THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

abundant  in  good  pasturage  and  other  growths. 
Going  north  in  the  main,  over  good  terrain,  and  hav- 
ing traveled  until  ^ve  o  'clock  and  covered  about  four 
leagues,  halt  was  made  to  pass  the  night  at  the  place 
which  they  call  the  Llano  Grande.  At  this  time  the 
Reverend  Father  Fray  Francisco  Garces  and  four 
soldiers  set  out  for  San  Xavier  del  Bac  with  the 
body  of  the  deceased  in  order  on  the  next  day  to 
give  it  burial  with  church  rites.  The  rest  of  this 
afternoon  and  the  night  were  passed  without  any 
other  occurrence.^ — 2.  From  the  presidio  of  Tubac 
to  the  Llano  Grande,  8  leagues. 

October  25. — Having  raised  our  train,  at  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning  we  set  forth  along  the  same 
bottom  lands  and  over  the  same  kind  of  terrain, 
going  generally  toward  the  north,  with  the  exception 
of  about  a  league  in  which  we  turned  north-north- 
west to  reach  San  Xavier  del  Bac;  and  at  half  past 
one  in  the  afternoon,  after  having  traveled  five 
leagues,  we  arrived  at  the  pueblo,  where  we  halted 
to  pass  the  night.  The  condition  of  this  pueblo,  its 
tribe,  the  number  of  families,  and  the  minister  in 
charge,  I  recorded  in  my  previous  diary,  as  I  did 
for  all  the  rest  of  this  tribe,  for  which  reason  I  omit 
them  from  this  one.^ — 3.  From  Tubac  to  San  Xavier 
del  Bac,  13  leagues. 

1  Camp  was  made  a  little  south  of  Sahuarito,  nearly  opposite  Twin 
Buttes.     Font  gives  the  distance  for  the  day  as  three  leagues. 

2  San  Xavier  del  Bac,  a  Pima  mission  founded  at  the  end  of  the 
seventeenth  century  by  the  renowned  Kino,  was  now  in  charge  of  the 
Franciscans,  with  the  intrepid  Garces  as  its  missionary. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  9 

Thursday,  October  26. — At  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning  we  set  forth  on  the  march  for  the  pueblo 
of  Tuczon.  Having  traveled  five  leagues  and  the 
same  number  of  hours,  going  to  the  north  for  the 
first  four  hours  and  to  the  north-northwest  for  the 
other,  we  halted  to  pass  the  night  beyond  that 
pueblo,  which  is  the  last  of  those  reduced/  North 
of  the  pueblo  I  was  joined  by  four  soldiers  whom  on 
the  preceding  23d  of  the  month  I  had  sent  out  to 
explore  the  country  between  this  pueblo  and  the  Gila 
Eiver,  to  see  if  there  was  water  on  the  way,  the 
report  being  that  there  was  none,  and  that  the 
stretch  from  this  pueblo  to  the  Gila  River,  a  distance 
of  more  than  twenty  leagues,  would  be  impassable 
except  at  the  cost  of  great  difficulty  because  of  our 
large  train  and  other  impediments  which  attend  us. 
But  from  this  care  we  were  freed  by  the  favorable 
report  which  these  explorers  brought  back  to  the 
effect  that  there  was  sufficient  water.  I  therefore 
decided  to  make  our  journey  from  here  to  the  Gila 
in  two  divided  marches,^  in  order  to  insure  the  con- 
venience of  all  the  expedition. 

1  Font  gives  the  distance  as  *  *  quatro  leguas  muy  largas, '  *  and  says 
that  the  march  was  roundabout,  and  camp  a  league  beyond  Tucson. 
The  pueblo  of  Tucson  was  at  the  old  church  whose  ruins  are  at  the 
foot  of  A  Mountain.  The  distance  from  San  Xavier  to  that  point 
is  about  eight  miles,  making  the  day's  journey  about  eleven  miles. 
Camp  was  near  the  north  edge  of  the  present  city  of  Tucson.  Captain 
Page,  City  Engineer,  thinks  it  was  at  El  Vado  de  los  Sauces.  Tucson 
at  this  time  was  more  populous  than  San  Xavier,  of  which  it  was  a 
visita  or  sub-station.  In  the  following  year  the  presidio  of  Tubae 
was  moved  to  Tucson. 

2  Tardeadas. 


10       THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

The  reason  for  having  come  through  the  two 
pueblos  mentioned  is  that  by  way  of  them  the  jour- 
ney to  the  Gila  River  is  easier  than  by  going  higher 
up  and  crossing  the  Papagueria.  Although  that 
route  would  save  twenty-five  or  thirty  leagues,  be- 
cause it  had  not  rained  there  we  were  forced  to  make 
the  longer  journey  which  we  have  indicated  by  way 
of  El  Tuczon.— 4.  From  Tubac  to  El  Tuyson,  18 
leagues. 

Friday,  October  27. — At  one  o  'clock  in  the  after- 
noon we  raised  our  train  and  set  forth  on  the  march 
toward  the  north-northwest  with  some  turns  to  the 
northwest;  and  having  traveled  five  leagues  and  as 
many  hours  over  good  terrain  with  reasonably  good 
pasturage,  halt  was  made  for  the  night  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  a  small  range  which  the  Pimas  call 
Tututac.^  At  the  time  when  we  set  forth  this  after- 
noon two  muleteers  deserted  us,  and  I  entrusted 
their  apprehension  to  the  justices  of  Tuczon,  who 
came  to  bid  me  goodbye.    At  eight  o'clock  at  night 

1  The  day  ^s  march  was  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  Both  Font 
and  Anza  give  the  distance  as  five  leagues.  Font  calls  this  camp 
Puerto  del  Azotado.  It  was  two  miles  or  more  southeast  of  Killito, 
and  just  west  of  Weaver  Well.  Font  tells  us  that  it  was  in  a  plain, 
in  view  of  a  low,  rough  range  called  La  Frente  Negra,  and  in  front 
of  a  pass  through  which  they  went  next  day.  The  pass  was  the  gap 
through  the  north  end  of  Tucson  Mountains,  whose  very  northern 
extremity  is  washed  by  the  river  in  wet  seasons,  which  explains  why 
they  went  through  the  gap.  The  mountains  are  very  dark  colored 
here.  La  Frente  Negra  was  the  figure  visible  here  resembling  a 
human  face  or  profile,  formed  by  the  northernmost  peak  of  the  range. 
Font  remarks  that  the  mountains  on  the  right  (the  Santa  Catalinas) 
end  before  reaching  the  Puerto  del  Azotado.  I  went  through  this 
puerto  in  May,  1929,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Clayton  Lockett. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  11 

six  Pimas  of  the  last  pueblo  came  to  camp  and 
brought  one  of  the  fugitives.  I  immediately  had 
him  given  a  beating,  and  for  this  reason  the  soldiers 
called  the  place  where  we  camped  for  the  night  the 
plain  of  El  Azotado/ — 5.  From  Tubac  to  Tututac 
or  Llano  del  Azotado,  23  leagues. 

Saturday,  October  28. — Having  celebrated  the 
holy  sacrifice  of  the  Mass  we  raised  our  camp  and 
set  forth  on  the  march,  continuing  over  good  terrain 
toward  the  west-northwest  for  three  leagues,  when 
we  came  to  some  ponds  of  water  by  which  the  people, 
saddle  animals,  and  cattle  were  refreshed.  After 
this  we  continued  our  march,  going  to  the  northwest 
in  order  to  reach  some  ponds  more  abundant  in  pas- 
turage than  the  foregoing.  This  place  the  Pimas  call 
Oit  Par,  which  in  our  language  means  Old  Town, 
because  it  was  the  old  town  of  the  natives  here.^  It 
was  almost  completely  destroyed  by  the  common 
enemy,  the  Apaches,  because  their  habitations  are 
so  nearby  that  in  less  than  fifteen  leagues  from 
this  place  to  the  northeast  and  east  in  preceding 
years  I  have  several  times  attacked  and  made 
captures  in  their  villages.    In  this  place  without  the 

1  The  one  who  got  a  beating. 

2  Camp  was  evidently  near  the  E.  Aguirre  House,  nearly  west  of 
Naviska.  In  wet  seasons  pools  form  in  the  flats  here.  I  explored 
the  ground  on  May  16,  1929.  Anza  does  not  give  the  full  distance 
for  the  day's  march  and  does  not  include  it  in  his  total.  Font  gives 
the  distance  as  six  leagues.  He  calls  the  camp  Lagunas  de  Oytaparts, 
and  says  that  half  a  league  beyond  it  are  the  ruins  (thirty  jacales) 
of  the  abandoned  Papago  village  of  Cuitoa.  The  great  plain  off  to 
the  right  was  Apache  country,  where  Anza  had  made  more  than  one 
raid.     Just  west  of  camp  loomed  Sawtooth  Mountain. 


12       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

greatest  difficulty  wheel  wells^  could  be  made  to 
provide  an  abundance  of  water,  as  the  land  itself 
manifests  by  the  growth  of  various  trees,  shrubs, 
and  pasturage  which  could  not  be  maintained  unless 
there  were  moisture  nearby. 

Sunday,  October  29. — At  six  o  *clock  in  the  morn- 
ing I  sent  four  Pimas  whom  I  brought  from  the 
pueblo  of  El  Tuczon  to  give  notice  to  the  pueblos, 
also  of  Pimas,  who  live  on  the  Gila  Eiver,  that  we 
would  very  soon  arrive  there,  in  order  that  our 
coming  might  not  cause  any  disturbance.  At  eight 
o'clock  this  morning  the  same  number  of  people 
from  El  Tuczon  and  the  pueblo  of  San  Xavier  del 
Bac  came  to  our  camp  and  delivered  to  me  one  of  the 
runaway  muleteers  mentioned  hereinbefore.  We 
gave  him  suitable  punishment  and  paid  the  Indians 
for  bringing  him,  charging  it  to  the  culprit. 

At  nine  o'clock  on  the  same  morning,  after 
having  celebrated  the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  all 
the  members  of  the  expedition  attending,  I  issued  a 
proclamation  making  known  the  penalties  imposed 
by  the  Ordinance  on  any  one  who  should  violate 
women,  especially  heathen,  or  steal  their  goods. 
Under  the  same  penalties  I  forbade  anyone  to  raise 
arms  against  the  heathen  in  the  country  through 
which  we  pass,  except  in  a  case  of  necessity  for 
the  defense  of  life,  or  at  my  orders,  and  likewise 
against  any  one  who  should  spread  any  report  which 
might  withdraw  these  heathen  from  the  true  religion 

1  Norias. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  13 

and  the  dominion  of  his  Majesty.  For  this  purpose 
and  in  order  that  such  important  aims  may  be 
achieved,  I  likewise  urged  them  to  accord  these 
people  good  treatment,  and  exhorted  them  to  set  the 
example  which  we  ought  to  show  them  by  our  cus- 
toms, and  by  our  attendance  upon  all  the  acts  of 
devotion  which  may  offer  themselves  in  our  expe- 
dition. 

In  continuation  of  our  journey,  having  raised 
our  train,  we  set  forth  at  half  past  twelve  today, 
traveling  through  a  spacious  valley,  toward  the 
northwest  in  the  main,  for  although  there  were  some 
turns  to  the  north-northwest  they  were  of  small 
consequence;  and  having  traveled  four  hours  and  a 
half,  going  five  leagues,  a  halt  was  made  for  the 
night  in  this  same  valley  at  the  place  where  the 
pasturage  ends,  at  a  site  known  as  the  flat  of  El 
Aquituni.^ — 6.  From  Tubac  to  the  vicinity  of  Aqui- 
tuni,  28  leagues. 

Monday,  October  30. — At  half  past  seven  we  set 
forth  along  the  same  valley,  which  from  here  for- 
ward is  entirely  without  pasturage,  and  traveled 
through  it  for  about  two  leagues  to  the  west-north- 
west to  go  around  a  thicket.  Turning  afterward  to 
the  northwest  for  five  leagues  and  then  three  more 
to  the  north,  we  arrived  at  the  Gila  River  at  a  site 
with  abundant  pasturage  and  water  which  by  its 
inhabitants  is  called  Comari,  where  we  halted  to 

1  Font  tells  us  that  camp  was  a  little  beyond  a  picacho  * '  which 
the  Indians  call  Tacca.'*  This  was  Picacho  Peak.  Camp  was  nearly 
west  of  Wymola  station  and  nearly  south  of  Picacho  station. 


14       THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

pass  the  night/  From  what  has  already  been  said 
one  can  see  how  difficult  this  journey  must  have 
been,  but  it  was  necessary  to  make  it,  for  lack  of 
water,  any  of  which  is  found  only  by  rare  accident. 
Nevertheless,  no  dissatisfaction  whatever  has  been 
shown  by  the  people  who  have  made  the  march,  and 
this  is  a  thing  to  marvel  at,  especially  in  the  women 
and  children,  and  their  patience  under  the  hardships 
is  an  indication  of  the  contentment  with  which  they 
are  accepting  their  lot. 

At  one  o^clock  today,  about  four  leagues  before 
arriving  at  the  place  named,  I  was  met  by  the 
governors  and  justices  of  the  heathen  pueblos,  most 
of  them  Pimas,^  who  live  on  this  river.  They  mani- 
fested the  greatest  satisfaction  at  our  visit  and  our 
passage  through  this  region.  I  reciprocated  in  the 
same  spirit  and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  all  members  of 
the  expedition  to  see  these  people  so  attached  to  us, 
for  those  who  were  not  acquainted  with  them  did 
not  imagine  they  would  be  so  docile  and  attentive. 
These  heathen  told  me  that  when  a  large  number 
of  them  were  hunting  the  day  before,  they  encoun- 
tered a  band  of  Apaches  who  were  coming  at  once, 
bent  on  their  accustomed  robberies,  but  having  had 

1  From  Aquituni  to  Comari  it  was  about  thirty  miles  (Anza  says 
ten  leagues  and  Font  twelve).  As  they  marched,  they  were  guided 
by  Sacaton  Peak,  passing  to  the  right  of  it.  The  laguna  where  they 
camped  was  evidently  Blackwater  Slough,  some  eight  miles  west- 
northwest  of  Casa  Grande  ruins.  Both  Font  and  Anza  give  the  dis- 
tance from  camp  to  the  ruins  as  three  leagues.  I  was  at  both  places 
in  May,  1929. 

2  Font  tells  us  that  among  them  were  the  governors  of  Cuitoa 
and  Aquituni,  Papago  villages  then  living  on  the  Gila  Eiver. 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  15 

the  good  fortune  to  surprise  them  they  were  able  to 
kill  two  and  to  cause  the  rest  to  flee  and  retire  to 
their  own  country. — 7.  From  Tubac  to  El  Comari 
on  the  Gila  River,  38  leagues. 

Tuesday,  October  31. — Because  of  the  last  march 
this  day  was  devoted  to  rest  for  everyone.  About 
three  leagues  from  here  there  is  an  edifice  of  the 
ancient  Indians,  and  I  decided  to  go  to  see  it  for  the 
purpose  of  making  an  observation  of  its  latitude, 
as  a  notable  site  because  of  this  circumstance.  And 
so,  at  eleven  o^clock  today  we  reached  the  edifice, 
and  having  taken  all  its  measurements  according  to 
the  rules  which  we  knew,  they  are  set  forth  at  the 
end  of  this  diary,  together  with  a  description  of  the 
ruin.^ 

Having  done  this  we  noted  that  other  edifices 
followed,  all  of  which  showed  that  they  lived  close 
together  and  covered  an  area  nearly  two  leagues 
long  and  almost  a  quarter  of  a  league  wide.  All 
were  built  a  league  or  a  little  less  from  the  river, 
the  stream  being  conducted  through  the  middle  of 
them  by  means  of  several  ditches  which  ordinarily 
are  five  and  a  half  yards  wide,  and  are  plainly  seen 
in  all  the  places  where  we  have  traveled  today.  The 
inhabitants  of  this  river  have  only  a  remote  and 
confused  tradition  that  these  ruined  edifices  be- 
longed to  their  ancient  sovereigns.^ 

1  See  page  197. 

2  Font  gives  a  much  more  detailed  description  of  Casa  Grande 
than  Anza. 


16       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

In  all  the  region  which  I  have  seen  today  we  have 
observed  the  same  lack  of  pasturage  noted  on  this 
river,  for  from  the  time  when  I  set  out  from  the 
place  where  I  now  am  till  I  reached  the  edifices  men- 
tioned, no  pasturage  whatever  was  seen  in  all  the 
valley,  and  I  found  the  same  to  be  true  for  many 
leagues  in  circumference  and  even  further,  as  I  have 
said  hereinbefore/ 

1  Father  Kino  left  us  our  earliest  account  of  the  Casa  Grande. 
He  writes :  "  In  November,  1694,  I  went  inland  with  my  servants  and 
some  justices  of  this  Pimeria,  as  far  as  the  casa  grande,  as  these 
Pimas  call  it,  which  is  on  the  large  River  of  Hila  that  flows  out  of 
Nuevo  Mexico  and  has  its  source  near  Aeoma,  This  river  and  this 
large  house  and  the  neighboring  houses  are  forty-three  leagues  beyond 
and  to  the  northwest  of  the  Sobaipuris  of  San  Francisco  Xavier  del 
Bac.  .  .  . 

**The  casa  grande  is  a  four-story  building,  as  large  as  a  castle 
and  equal  to  the  largest  church  in  these  lands  of  Sonora.  It  is  said 
that  the  ancestors  of  Montezuma  deserted  and  depopulated  it,  and, 
beset  by  the  neighboring  Apaches,  left  for  the  east  or  Casas  Grandes 
[in  Chihualiua],  and  that  from  there, they  turned  towards  the  south 
and  southwest,  finally  founding  the  great  city  and  court  of  Mexico. 
Close  to  this  casa  grande  there  are  thirteen  smaller  houses,  somewhat 
more  dilapidated,  and  the  ruins  of  many  others,  which  make  it  evident 
that  in  ancient  times  there  had  been  a  city  here.  On  this  occasion 
and  on  later  ones  I  have  learned  and  heard,  and  at  times  have  seen, 
that  further  to  the  east,  north,  and  west  there  are  seven  or  eight  more 
of  these  large  old  houses  and  the  ruins  of  whole  cities,  with  many 
broken  metates  and  jars,  charcoal,  etc.  These  certainly  must  be  the 
Seven  Cities  mentioned  by  the  holy  man.  Fray  Marcos  de  Niza,  who 
in  his  long  pilgrimage  came  clear  to  the  Bacapa  rancheria  of  these 
coasts,  which  is  about  sixty  leagues  southwest  from  this  casa  grande, 
and  about  twenty  leagues  from  the  Sea  of  California.  The  guides  or 
interpreters  must  have  given  his  Reverence  the  information  which  he 
has  in  his  book  concerning  these  Seven  Cities,  although  certainly  at 
that  time,  and  for  a  long  while  before,  they  must  have  been  deserted. '  * 
(Bolton,  Herbert  E.,  Kino's  historical  Memoir  of  Pimeria  Alta,  I, 
127-129). 


La  Frente  Negra. 


Photo  by  Bolton 


"]   P 


Mission  San  Xavier  del  Bac. 


Photo  bv  Russell 


Pima  house  and  storage  shed. 


i'holo  by  Russell 


Sacaton,  in  the  heart  of  Pima  Land. 


DOWN  THE  GILA 

Wednesday,  November  1. — Having  heard  the 
holy  sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  and  prepared  our  train 
for  the  march,  we  set  forth  at  a  quarter  to  ten  today. 
Going  generally  west-northwest,  and  following  the 
meadows  of  the  river  until  we  had  traveled  four 
leagues  in  as  many  hours,  we  arrived  at  the  first 
pueblo  of  the  Pimas,  commonly  called  by  them  Jutu- 
ritucam,^  whose  numbers,  compactness,  and  other 
circumstances  I  noted  in  my  former  diary,  and  since 
there  has  been  no  change  whatever  I  omit  them  now. 

The  affability  and  friendly  treatment  which  I 
experienced  from  these  people  in  my  last  expedition 
I  have  found  repeated  on  this  occasion.  They  all 
had  the  good  manners  to  come  to  salute  me  and  to 
prepare  a  bower  or  arcade  of  five  naves^  in  which 

1  Font  calls  this  place  Uturituc.  The  name  (pronounced  Hu-tchuri- 
tchuk)  is  still  preserved  in  the  vicinity,  and  means  **an  open  place, 
without  trees.*'  Uturituc  was  eighteen  or  twenty  miles  west -north- 
west of  Casa  Grande  ruin,  and  some  distance  west-northwest  of 
Sacaton.  Anza  in  1774  and  Font  and  Garces  in  1775  place  it 
approximately  one-third  of  the  way  from  Casa  Blanca  to  Casa 
Grande,  two  fixed  points.  Sweetwater,  one  of  the  present-day  Pima 
towns,  is  west  of  the  location  of  Uturituc  in  1775.  Blackwater  and 
Sacaton  are  relatively  modern  places,  occupied  since  freedom  from 
Apaches  has  made  it  possible  for  the  Pimas  to  live  dispersed.  Garces 
tells  us  of  these  people :  * '  They  possess  flocks  like  those  of  Moqui,  or 
much  the  same.  .  .  .  They  have  poultry  and  horses,  some  of  which 
they  bartered  with  the  soldiers  for  red  baize*'  (Diary,  in  Elliott 
Coues,  On  the  Trail  of  a  Spanish  Pioneer,  I,  104). 

2  Divisions  or  sections. 


18       THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

to  lodge  us,  and  where  they  voluntarily  supplied  us 
with  an  abundance  of  water,  wood,  and  some  pro- 
visions of  the  kinds  which  they  use.  This  good 
treatment  I  reciprocated  with  an  abundance  of  glass 
beads  and  tobacco,  distributing  them  amongst  all 
those  who  assembled,  who  were  more  than  a  thou- 
sand. In  this  pueblo  there  is  a  good  piece  of  pastur- 
age, a  circumstance  to  be  appreciated  because  of 
the  usual  lack  of  it. 

Here  I  have  learned  that  the  tribes  between  this 
place  and  the  Colorado,  allied  with  these  natives, 
have  remained  friendly  ever  since  I  exhorted  them 
to  peace  with  each  other.  To  me  this  has  been  a 
matter  of  satisfaction,  because  of  the  advantages  to 
them  as  well  as  of  the  effect  produced  by  the  name 
of  the  king,  in  whose  name  I  made  the  exhortation. 
For  this  reason,  and  in  order  that  they  might  make 
known  their  joy  at  our  passage  through  their  coun- 
try, the  Pimas  soon  after  I  arrived  at  the  pueblo 
asked  my  permission  to  celebrate  it  with  their 
accustomed  dances  and  songs,  and  with  this  moles- 
tation, for  such  in  reality  it  is  for  us,  we  spent  the 
rest  of  the  day  and  night  with  them. — 8.  From  the 
presidio  of  Tubac  to  the  pueblo  of  Juturitucan  on 
the  Gila  Kiver,  42  leagues. 

Thursday,  November  2. — Because  a  number  of 
saddle  animals  were  missing  this  morning  it  was  not 
possible  to  start  until  after  recovering  them,  which 
was  at  half  past  eleven.  At  this  hour  we  set  forth 
on  the  road  down  the  river,  going  generally  to  the 


ANZA'S  DIARY  19 

west-northwest,  with  some  small  turns  to  the  west 
to  avoid  some  thick  brush,  and  having  passed 
through  two  large  villages  of  Pimas  belonging  to 
the  pueblo  toward  which  we  are  going,  we  arrived 
there,  after  two  leagues  of  travel,  at  half  past  two  in 
the  afternoon.^  Here  we  halted  to  pass  the  night 
since  it  was  not  possible  to  go  forward  as  we  had 
planned,  both  because  of  having  lost  the  saddle 
animals  mentioned  and  because  there  is  no  pastur- 
age until  we  reach  the  place  to  which  we  are  going 
tomorrow. 

In  my  former  diary  I  noted  the  vast  fields  which 
were  cultivated  in  these  pueblos  of  the  Pimas.  At 
present  they  are  not  planted  as  they  ought  to  be 
because  the  river  is  so  short  of  water  that  in  some 
places  it  is  dried  up,  but  according  to  what  the 
Indians  tell  me  the  drought  will  last  only  till  the 
middle  of  this  month,  when  they  will  commence  their 
planting.  The  same  affection  and  the  same  demon- 
strations which  they  showed  us  at  the  pueblo  of 
Juturitucan  we  experienced  in  this  one  of  Sutaqui- 

1  Sutaquison  was  at  Vah  Ki.  This  location  is  fixed  by  Anza'a 
1774  diary,  entry  for  May  22,  where  he  says:  **Here  there  is  seen 
very  clearly,  from  the  foundations  and  even  parts  of  the  walls,  a 
palace  of  the  people  who  formed  the  nation  which,  it  is  believed,  went 
to  establish  their  empire  in  the  city  of  Mexico.'*  This  palace  was 
the  Vah  Ki  (Old  House)  or  Casa  Blanca  (White  House)  at  Vah  Ki, 
about  twenty-five  miles,  air  line,  from  Casa  Grande  ruin.  Font  and 
Garces  give  the  distance  from  Uturituc  to  Sutaquison  as  four  leagues, 
or  four-elevenths  of  the  distance  from  Casa  Grande  ruin  to  Suta- 
quison. Overlooking  the  statement  in  Anza's  first  diary,  Coues  says, 
*'I  do  not  think  Sutaquison  can  be  exactly  located  now.'*  But  in 
this  he  was  mistaken.  (Elliott  Coues,  On  the  Trail  of  a  Spanish 
Pioneer,  I,  107). 


20       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

zon,  where,  as  in  the  other  pueblo,  gifts  of  tobacco 
and  glass  beads  were  made  to  about  eight  hundred 
persons. — 9.  From  Tubac  to  Sutaquizon,  44  leagTies. 
Friday,  November  3. — In  view  of  the  report  and 
exploration  made  of  some  lakes  with  good  pasturage 
which  are  two  leagues  from  this  pueblo,  I  decided 
to  go  to  them  today  in  order  to  set  out  tomorrow 
in  the  afternoon  for  the  pueblo  of  Upasoitac,  distant 
at  least  thirteen  leagues  without  water.  I  did  this 
in  order  to  make  the  journey  far  away  from  the 
river,  because  this  stream  makes  a  turn  to  the  north 
of  more  than  eight  leagues  and  then  turns  south  and 
southwest,  and  because  it  is  not  convenient  for  all 
the  train  of  the  expedition  to  make  such  long  jour- 
neys except  in  case  of  great  necessity.  In  consider- 
ation of  everything  we  raised  our  camp  and  set 
forth  on  the  march  at  a  quarter  to  ten,  and  having 
traveled  more  than  two  hours  and  about  two  leagues 
to  the  west-northwest,  we  halted  at  the  lakes  men- 
tioned, accompanied  by  some  Pimas  who  wished  to 
follow  us  that  far.  In  the  course  of  the  march  which 
we  made  today  a  heavy  rain  fell  and  greatly  mo- 
lested the  women,  for  in  addition  to  its  natural  use- 
lessness  it  is  to  be  added  that  there  was  no  precedent 
for  expecting  such  a  rain  to  fall,  and  for  this  reason 
it  caught  them  entirely  unprepared.^ — 10.  From 
Tubac  to  Las  Lagunas,  46  leagues. 

1  Las  Lagunas  were  evidently  rainy  season  pools  northeast  of 
Pima  Butte.  Anza  traveled  only  two  and  a  quarter  hours.  All 
three  diaries  give  the  distance  as  two  leagues,  or  from  five  to  eight 
miles.  Coues  surmised  that  Las  Lagunas  were  Maricopa  Wells,  but 
these  are  some  fourteen  miles  from  Vah  Ki.     Seven  miles  northwest 


ANZA'S  DIARY  21 

Saturday,  November  4. — This  morning,  at  the 
time  when  I  gave  orders  to  begin  to  raise  our  train 
with  a  view  to  setting  forth,  a  soldier  reported  that 
his  wife  was  gravely  ill  and  unable  to  travel.  On 
investigation  I  found  this  to  be  true  and  that  the 
patient  was  deprived  of  her  natural  courses,  and  I 
therefore  decided  to  remain  here  today  for  the  pur- 
pose of  aiding  her  with  such  medicines  as  were 
available. 

Sunday,  November  5. — All  day  the  patient  was 
without  notable  relief  so  we  remained  in  this  place. 
At  night  a  woman  was  taken  with  violent  child- 
bearing  pains  from  which  it  was  thought  she  would 
die,  but  by  giving  her  some  medicines  we  succeeded 
in  affording  her  some  relief. 

Monday,  November  6. — Since  the  two  sick  women 
mentioned  were  not  in  condition  to  travel  it  was 
necessary  to  suspend  the  march  all  day. 

Tuesday,  November  7. — More  through  necessity 
than  because  the  sick  women  were  any  better,  I  de- 
cided to  leave  this  place,  for  from  either  the  water 
or  the  location,  in  the  two  days  during  which  we 

from  Vah  Ki,  near  St.  Francis  Mission  church  and  school,  and  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  northeast  of  Sacate  station  (two  miles  northeast 
of  Pima  Butte)  there  is  an  alkali  flat  where  lakes  form  in  wet  sea- 
sons. Here,  I  think,  were  Las  La^nas.  Lagnnas  and  pozos  are  not 
by  any  means  the  same,  as  Coues  seemed  to  think.  At  Laguna  del 
Hospital  they  made  almost  a  right-angled  turn,  from  northwest  to 
southwest.  Father  Font  tells  of  a  little  drinking  and  carousing  here, 
and  complains  of  Anza  for  furnishing  the  aguardiente.  While  in 
camp  here  on  November  6  Father  Font  made  a  map  of  Casa  Grande. 
I  was  at  Sacaton  on  May  16  and  May  17,  and  at  Vah  Ki,  St.  Francis 
Mission,  and  Sacate  station  on  May  17,  1929. 


22       THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

have  been  detained  at  these  lakes  the  saddle  animals 
have  become  sick  because  of  the  saltiness  of  the 
lakes,  although  it  is  not  known  how  they  got  to  them. 
The  same  thing  would  have  happened  to  the  people 
if  we  had  not  taken  the  precaution  to  go  to  get  water 
from  the  Gila  Eiver  three  leagues  away.  It  is  un- 
fortunate that  these  lakes  have  such  bad  water  for 
they  have  an  abundance  of  good  pasturage,  although 
the  trouble  mentioned  is  not  noticed  until  after  hav- 
ing been  a  day  at  the  lakes.  In  this  way,  therefore, 
one  succeeds  in  shortening  the  next  journey  by  two 
leagues. 

To  accomplish  this  we  set  forth  on  the  march  a 
little  before  one  o'clock,  going  two  leagues  south- 
west to  double  the  sierra^  which  runs  to  the  north- 
west and  north,  where  it  goes  to  cause  a  bend  in  the 
river.  Having  covered  this  distance  and  traveled 
five  more  leagues  to  the  west-southwest  and  west, 
we  halted  after  seven  o'clock  at  night  at  a  place 
where  some  pasturage  was  found  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  Pass  of  the  Cocomaricopas.  In  the 
afternoon  and  all  night  the  sufferings  of  the  sick 
women  continued,  and  because  of  these  mishaps 
which  occurred  at  the  lakes  we  called  them  the  Lakes 
of  the  Hospital.  On  the  march  indicated  we  sustained 

1  Sierra  Estrella.  The  march  was  southwest  to  the  railroad  pass 
near  Enid,  thence  west  to  a  dry  arroyo,  clearly  Watermelon  Wash. 
Anza  says  the  camp  was  only  two  leagues  before  reaching  the  pass 
of  the  Cocomaricopas  (Puerto  de  los  Cocomaricopas).  The  old  road 
(the  Jornada  de  las  Estrellas)  ran  north  of  the  railroad,  and  crossed 
the  Maricopa  Mountains  four  or  five  miles  north  of  the  railroad  pass 
at  Estrella.     Evidently  this  was  Anza^s  route. 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  23 

the  loss  of  two  saddle  animals,  one  of  them  having 
died  of  colic. — 11.  From  Tubac  to  the  Puerto  de  los 
Cocomaricopas,  53  leagues. 

Wednesday,  November  8. — In  continuation  of 
our  divided  march  we  raised  our  train  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  having  traveled  to  the 
west- southwest  about  two  leagues  we  began  to  go 
through  the  pass.  It  lasted  for  about  a  league,  after 
which  we  came  out  to  better  country,  through  which 
we  traveled  to  the  west  and  west-southwest  four 
leagues  more,  until  we  reached  the  site  of  Opasoitac,^ 
where  we  arrived  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
although  the  pack  train,  the  cattle,  and  the  extra 
saddle  animals  did  not  arrive  until  vespers,  on 
account  of  the  illness  mentioned. 

In  my  former  diary  I  gave  a  description  of  the 
tribe  of  the  Opas  and  Cocomaricopas,  who  occupy 
the  country  from  here  to  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Yumas.  For  this  reason  I  now  refrain  from  writ- 
ing at  length  concerning  the  matter,  and  will  only 
add,  as  a  subsequent  event,  that  I  have  found  these 
people  more  closely  united  in  their  villages  now  than 
last  year  and  living  in  a  level  and  open  country 
with  larger  fields,  depending  on  the  rainfall.  These 
changes  have  resulted  from  the  peace  and  harmony 
which  they  now  enjoy  with  the  Yumas  and  other 

1  San  Simon  y  Judas  de  Opasoitac  was  at  the  bend  of  the  Gila, 
evidently  near  where  the  Upper  Indian  Village  is  now  located.  It 
may  have  been  a  little  northeast  of  that  point.  Font  says  this  was 
a  village  of  Opas,  but  Opas  and  Cocomaricopas  seem  to  have  been 
nearly  identical.  The  Indians  now  at  Gila  Bend  are  Papagos.  In 
some  places  Anza's  copyist  wrote  Opasoitar  for  Opasoitac. 


24       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

tribes  with  whom  they  were  formerly  at  war,  and 
with  whom  I  ordered  them  to  maintain  friendship 
in  the  future.  And  this  peace  has  made  such  good 
progress  among  all  these  docile  heathen  that  these 
here  have  signified  to  me  with  the  greatest  jubilation 
that  they  have  intermarried  in  all  directions  and  all 
are  enjoying  the  fruits  of  peace,  for  which  they  have 
given  me  repeated  thanks.  With  respect  to  the 
thanks,  I  have  given  them  to  understand  that  they 
owe  this  benefit  to  the  king,  who  is  dispatching  his 
soldiers  through  these  parts  solely  with  this  pur- 
pose, and  with  greater  blessings  in  view,  the  spirit- 
ual ones,  which  the  reverend  fathers  will  explain  to 
them. — 12.    From  Tubac  to  Opasoitac,  60  leagues. 

Thursday,  November  9. — Having  found  in  this 
place  of  Opasoitac  fairly  good  maize  stubble  with 
grass  among  it,  I  decided  to  remain  here  today  in 
order  to  permit  the  recuperation  of  our  cattle, 
which  arrived  last  night  at  nine  o'clock  completely 
worn-out,  and  one  of  which  died.  Notwithstanding 
this,  yesterday,  when  we  arrived,  as  a  result  of  the 
notice  which  I  had  sent  ahead  to  the  inhabitants  of 
these  districts,  many  were  already  assembled,  and 
today  many  more  have  come.  For  this  reason  I  held 
the  foregoing  conversation  with  the  Indians,  and 
the  Reverend  Father  Fray  Francisco  Garces  gave 
the  appropriate  talk  concerning  matters  pertaining 
to  the  faith.^    After  this  the  accustomed  presents  of 

1  Garc68  writes  in  his  diary :  '  *  Having  shown  them  the  Virgin 
and  the  lost  soul  [pictures  on  opposite  sides  of  a  banner  which  he 
carried]    I  preached  through  an  interpreter,  because  their  language 


ANZA'S  DIARY  25 

glass  beads  were  given  to  about  five  hundred  persons 
who  were  assembled  to  receive  them.  The  wife  of 
a  soldier  having  had  the  misfortune  of  a  miscar- 
riage, the  child  dying,  she  has  been  very  ill  as  a 
result. 

Friday,  November  10. — The  last-mentioned  pa- 
tient was  not  in  a  condition  to  travel  today,  for  she 
woke  up  in  the  morning  with  her  whole  body  swollen, 
so  I  deferred  the  continuation  of  our  march,  which 
is  likewise  impeded  by  four  other  patients,  all  dan- 
gerously ill,  not  including  the  father  chaplain  Fray 
Pedro  Font,  who  by  force  of  his  spirit  and  zeal  has 
come  battling  with  great  ills  all  the  way  from  San 
Miguel  de  Horcacitas  to  here,  and  as  a  result  of 
which  he  has  recently  suffered  and  is  still  suffering 
painful  intermittent  fevers. 

Saturday,  November  11. — The  patients  being 
somewhat  relieved  of  their  ills,  a  little  before  ten 
o'clock  we  moved  our  train  and  set  forth  on  the 
march  down  the  river,  traveling  to  the  west-south- 
west about  a  league  and  a  half.  Because  it  threat- 
ened to  rain  and  soon  did  rain,  camp  was  made  for 
the  rest  of  the  day  to  protect  the  sufferers  from  it, 
which  was  accomplished  more  easily  here  than  in 
any  other  place  because  in  this  one  there  were  some 
good  Indian  arbors  or  bowers,  which,  together  with 
the  tents,  served  very  well.    This  place  was  named 

is  not  Pima  but  Yuma.  I  asked  them  if  they  wished  with  all  their 
heart  to  be  Christians  and  to  admit  the  padres  in  their  land,  and 
they  replied  very  cheerfully,  *Yes.'  **  (Garces,  Diary,  in  Elliott 
Coues,  On  the  Trail  of  a  Spanish  Pioneer,  I,  116). 


26       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

the  Rancherias  de  San  Martin.^  Although  there  was 
no  pasturage  here,  advantage  was  taken  of  some 
stubble  of  maize  or  wheat  sown  by  the  heathen  in- 
habitants of  the  place.  The  rain  continued  all  day 
and  with  greater  force  all  the  following  night.  From 
these  villages  forward,  and  even  since  leaving  that 
of  Opasoitac,  we  are  free  of  the  Apaches,  which 
pirates,  according  to  the  report  which  the  Pimas 
have  always  given  me,  are  the  last  ones  bordering  on 
this  region.  They  extend  to  the  river  of  La  Assump- 
cion,^  a  stream  which  empties  into  this  one  about 
half  way  between  the  pueblos  of  Zutaquizon  and 
Opasoitac  and  is  thickly  inhabited  by  these  enemies. 
— 13.    Prom  Tubac  to  San  Martin,  61i/^  leagues. 

Sunday,  November  12. — At  half  past  nine  we 
raised  our  camp,  now  being  free  from  the  rain,  which 
stopped  at  daylight.  Continuing  down  the  bottom 
lands  of  the  river  to  the  west-southwest,  we  traveled 
four  leagues  in  the  same  number  of  hours,  until  we 
came  to  the  foot  of  some  hills  near  the  river,  on 
whose  bank  there  is  a  good  field  of  stubble,  where 
camp  was  made  for  the  night.  This  place  was  called 
San  Diego.^     In  the  course  of  the  journey  which 

1  San  Martin  was  some  five  miles  below  Opasoitac.  Anza  gives 
the  distance  as  one  and  a  half  leagues  west-southwest,  and  Font  as 
two  short  leagues  west.  From  this  I  conclude  that  both  of  these 
villages  were  on  the  west  flowing  stretch  of  the  river  before  it  turns 
sharply  northwest.  In  May,  1929,  I  followed  the  Gila  from  the  Casa 
Grande  to  Yuma,  checking  Anza^'s  camps. 

2  Salt  Eiver. 

3  Camp  was  made  just  east  of  Painted  Rock  Mountains,  so-called 
from  a  spotted,  black  and  white  (pinto)  peak.  Font  gives  the  march 
as  five  leagues  west  by  north,  and  says  there  were  some  Indian 
ranches  where  camp  was  made. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  27 

I  made  last  year  from  here  to  the  pueblo  of  Opasoi- 
tac  I  said  that  it  was  well  settled  with  heathen  who 
had  good  fields,  but  now  it  is  even  more  populous 
through  many  advantages  resulting  from  the  peace 
which  they  enjoy.  This  harmony  has  caused  many 
people  to  come  out  from  those  groves  or  forests 
where  they  were  in  hiding  to  protect  themselves 
from  the  attacks  of  their  enemies,  and  as  a  result  all 
the  way  to  here  we  have  come  through  continuous 
villages  and  signs  of  cultivation. — 14.  From  Tubac 
to  San  Diego,  65%  leagues. 

Monday,  November  13. — At  a  quarter  past  eight 
we  set  forth  on  the  march,  leaving  the  river  to  the 
right  because  it  now  turns  toward  the  north.  We 
went  southwest  for  a  league  which  was  occupied  by 
some  small  hills  ;^  this  distance  passed  we  went  down 
to  a  valley,  and  from  it,  after  turning  to  the  west 
and  also  the  west-southwest,  and  traveling  three 
more  leagues,  we  came  to  the  river  at  the  place 
called  La  Rinconada,  where  there  is  pasturage,  and 
where  a  halt  was  made  for  the  night.  A  quarter  of 
a  league  before  reaching  this  place,  without  any 
difficulty  we  crossed  the  Gila  River,  which  had  only 
five  or  six  palms  of  water  where  it  was  the  deepest.^ 
— 15.    From  Tubac  to  La  Einconada,  69%  leagues. 

1  Painted  Rock  Mountains.  The  old  stage  line  followed  the  same 
trail. 

2  La  Einconada,  called  Aritoac  by  Pont,  was  north  of  the  Gila 
and  just  west  of  Painted  Rock  range.  The  crossing  of  the  river  was 
near  Oatman's  Flat,  where  the  Oatman  massacre  occurred  in  1851. 
(See  Bancroft,  Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  484-486).  Anza's  La  Rin- 
conada  is  now  spelled  Rincon.  It  is  where  the  mountains  come  close 
to  the  river,  forming  an  angle  or  rincon. 


28       THE  SAN  PEANCISCO  COLONY 

Tuesday,  November  14. — At  half  past  nine  we 
raised  our  train  and  set  forth  on  the  march  toward 
the  southwest,  immediately  climbing  a  stony  mesa 
which  extends  for  about  a  league.  Then  we  de- 
scended to  the  river,  going  with  slight  turns  in  the 
same  direction  and  to  the  west.  After  this  we  trav- 
eled three  more  leagues,  until  half  past  one,  when 
we  came  to  Agua  Caliente,  where  camp  was  made 
for  the  night.^ — 16.  From  Tubac  to  Agua  Caliente, 
73%  leagues. 

Wednesday,  November  15. — Today  was  devoted 
to  rest  for  everybody,  because  this  place  abounds  in 
pasturage  and  affords  facilities  for  the  families  to 
wash,  of  which  they  have  great  need.  Last  year  the 
place  was  deserted  on  account  of  the  war  which  its 
inhabitants  were  waging  with  the  Yumas.  But 
things  are  now  so  different  that  more  than  two  hun- 

1  The  place  still  bears  the  name  of  Agua  Caliente  (Hot  Spring). 
Camp  according  to  Font  was  about  two  leagues  from  the  river.  The 
river  bottom  is  four  miles  wide  here,  and  the  hot  springs  are  nearly 
two  miles  from  the  main  river  channel.  Pont  calls  this  place  or  dis- 
trict San  Bernardino  del  Agua  Caliente,  but  Anza  gives  the  name 
San  Bernardino  to  a  camp  lower  down.  Agua  Caliente  is  due  north 
of  Burke's  Station  on  the  old  road  along  the  south  side  of  the  river. 

Garces  makes  this  entry  for  November  14:  *' Having  traveled  4 
leagues  west-southwest  we  arrived  at  the  Agua  Caliente.  .  .  .  There 
came  about  200  souls  to  visit  us.  I  showed  them  the  pictures,  and 
preached  to  them,  and  to  the  proposition  whether  they  wished  to  be 
baptized  and  have  padres  in  their  land,  they  answered,  'Yes.'  I 
proposed  to  the  old  men  that  they  join  our  party,  in  order  that  the 
senor  comandante  might  make  in  the  name  of  the  king  a  governor 
and  an  alcalde;  to  which  responded  one  old  man  very  seriously: 
'Behold,  the  justice  is  to  punish  the  bad;  but  none  of  us  being  bad, 
for  what  is  the  justice?  Already  have  ye  seen,  Espanoles,  that  we 
steal  not,  neither  do  we  quarrel,  and  though  we  be  with  a  woman  we 
take  no  liberty  of  doing  anything  wrong.'     I  do  not  believe  all  that 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  29 

dred  persons  have  assembled,  and  they  informed  me 
that  they  desired  to  have  a  chief  to  govern  them 
like  the  Yumas,  and  like  their  old  friends,  the  Pimas. 
Being  pleased  with  the  request,  and  they  having 
nominated  to  me  two  persons,  I  appointed  one  as 
governor  and  the  other  as  alcalde/  Beforehand 
they  pledged  their  word  to  recognize  the  king  as 
their  lord  and  to  obey  all  orders  that  might  be  given 
to  them  in  his  name  by  the  royal  ministers.  The 
same  was  done  on  three  different  occasions  by  all 
the  persons  present  at  the  act,  and  they  agreed  that 
it  was  the  duty  of  these  officers  to  rule  them,  all  the 
way  from  La  Rinconada  to  San  Bernardino,  from 
the  extremes  and  the  center  of  which  district  there 
were  people  who  promised  to  recognize  them  as  their 
rulers.  Before  installing  them  in  their  offices  I  in- 
structed them  in  their  principal  duties.     This  so 

of  their  goodness,  yet  it  is  certain  that  this  Opa  nation  is  not  less 
serious  than  the  Pima.  Having  been  asked  what  information  they 
possessed  of  their  ancestors,  they  told  me  about  the  same  things  as 
the  Gilenos  said  to  the  senor  comandante,  and  Padre  Font  put  in 
his  diary,  concerning  the  deluge  and  creation;  and  added,  that  their 
origin  was  from  near  the  sea  in  which  an  old  woman  created  their 
progenitors;  that  this  old  woman  is  still  somewhere,  and  that  she 
it  is  who  sends  the  corals  that  come  out  of  the  sea;  that  when  they 
die  their  ghost  goes  to  live  toward  the  western  sea;  that  some,  after 
they  die,  live  like  owls;  and  finally  they  said  that  they  themselves 
do  not  understand  such  things  well,  and  that  those  who  know  it  all 
are  those  who  live  in  the  sierra  over  there  beyond  the  Eio  Colorado. 
The  senor  comandante  made  a  governor  and  alcalde,  who  behaved 
very  haughtily,  saying  that  now  their  names  would  reach  the  king; 
this,  perhaps,  may  cause  some  jealousy  on  the  part  of  the  Captain 
Palma. '*  (Garces,  Diary,  in  Elliott  Coues,  On  the  Trail  of  a  Spanish 
Pioneer,  I,  118-123.) 

1  The   governor   was   named   Carlos   and   the   alcalde   was   called 
Francisco  (Font). 


30       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

frightened  the  governor  that  for  more  than  an  hour 
he  did  not  cease  to  tremble  so  hard  that  he  appeared 
to  be  shivering  from  the  severest  chill.  These  things 
having  been  done,  glass  beads  and  tobacco  were  dis- 
tributed amongst  them,  by  means  of  which  this  elec- 
tion was  made  more  pleasing. 

Thursday,  November  16. — Having  raised  our 
train,  at  half  past  nine  we  set  forth,  continuing  down 
the  river  toward  the  southwest  with  some  turns  to 
the  west.  In  this  direction  we  traveled  six  and  a 
half  hours  and  covered  seven  leagues,  at  the  end 
of  which  a  halt  was  made  for  the  night  at  a  place 
with  little  pasturage,  in  the  neighborhood  of  San 
Bernardino.^  The  reason  why  the  journey  today 
was  so  long  was  that  the  soldiers  whom  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  march  I  sent  to  look  for  a  place  with 
plenty  of  pasturage  made  a  mistake,  on  account  of 
the  many  roads  which  there  are  now  in  the  bottom 
lands,  because  now  its  inhabitants  live  in  the  open. 
— 17.  From  Tubac  to  the  neighborhood  of  San  Ber- 
nardino, 80%  leagues. 

Before  I  began  the  march  four  soldiers  set  out 
with  a  Yuma  interpreter  for  the  purpose  of  report- 
ing our  arrival  in  the  near  future  to  Salvador 
Palma,  the  captain  of  this  tribe,  and  in  order  that, 
having  done  this,  they  might  go  to  explore  the 
watering  places  and  the  transit  from  the  Colorado 

1  Camp  was  some  distance  below  Palomas,  near  Nottbusch  's  Well. 
Anza  gives  the  day 's  march  as  seven  leagues  and  Font  as  nine.  Font, 
being  with  the  lost  guides,  camped  a  league  below  the  main  camp, 
but  his  estimate  of  distances  was  for  the  main  camp. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  31 

Eiver^  to  the  Cienega  de  San  Sebastian,  or  to  seek 
another  road  which  may  be  more  favorable  to  us 
than  those  known  up  to  now,  for  to  find  such  a  one 
as  this  and  learn  whether  the  old  ones  have  water,  is 
what  now  most  occupies  my  attention,  in  order  that 
we  may  make  our  march  to  more  fertile  lands  or 
lands  better  suited  for  making  our  roads  through 
them. 

A  little  above  this  place  is  San  Bernardino,^  last 
of  the  habitations  of  the  Opas  or  Cocomaricopas, 
who  are  one  and  the  same.  In  my  former  diary  I 
gave  their  number  according  to  the  reports  which 
they  themselves  and  the  Yumas  gave  me,  but  it 
occurs  to  me  now  to  note  that  they  are  not  so  numer- 
ous as  I  indicated  there.  For,  most  of  this  tribe 
having  come  before  me  with  the  intention  of  not 
living  hidden  now,  because  of  the  peace  which  they 
enjoy,  as  well  as  to  receive  the  presents  which  are 
given  them  in  the  name  of  his  Majesty,  for  which 
purpose  I  have  convoked  them,  there  have  assem- 
bled on  the  way  from  San  Simon  y  Judas  y  de 
Opasoitac  to  here  scarcely  fifteen  hundred  persons, 
whereas  all  the  country  from  here  as  far  as  the 
Yumas  is  unpopulated. 

1  These  scouts  passed  Font  and  Eixarch  and  camped  below  them 
(Font). 

2  San  Bernardino  was  near  Palomas,  probably  above.  Font  says 
it  was  four  leagues  from  Agua  Caliente,  and  consisted  of  an  island, 
when  the  river  rose,  on  which  there  were  some  rancherias.  Anza 
says  the  next  camp  was  near  San  Bernardino,  from  which  one  would 
infer  that  it  was  closer  than  Font  indicates. 


32       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Friday,  November  17. — At  half  past  ten  in  the 
morning  we  continued  our  way  toward  the  south- 
west. Following  along  the  river,  and  traveling  until 
a  little  after  twelve  o^clock,  we  covered  a  league  and 
a  half,  and  then,  because  the  previous  journey  was 
extraordinary,  we  halted  in  a  place  with  some  pas- 
turage, to  which  we  gave  the  name  of  El  Pescadero.^ 
— 18.    From  Tubac  to  El  Pescadero,  82  leagues. 

Saturday,  November  18. — At  half  past  nine  we 
raised  our  camp  and  went  southwest  for  a  league 
and  a  half,  when  we  recrossed  the  Gila  successfully. 
After  this  we  continued  west-southwest  for  another 
league  and  a  half,  until  at  one  o  ^clock  we  came  to  the 
site  of  San  Pasqual,^  where  pasturage  was  found 
and  a  halt  was  made  to  camp  for  the  night.  Here  I 
was  overtaken  by  the  governor  and  the  alcalde  of 
the  Opas  elected  three  days  before,  with  ten  other 
men  and  four  women,  who  are  going  voluntarily  to 
the  Yumas  so  that  in  my  presence  they  may  ratify 
the  peace  which,  because  of  my  former  admonitions, 
the  two  tribes  have  agreed  upon.  Of  this  peace 
both  tribes  have  given  good  proofs.     Nevertheless, 

1  El  Pescadero  was  near  Farras  Banch,  or  perhaps  lower  down, 
near  Texas  Hill.  Font  says  that  they  moved  camp  because  at  the 
last  one  there  was  no  grass.  Both  reasons  probably  counted.  He 
gives  the  distance  as  two  leagues.  El  Pescadero  means  the  fishing 
place. 

2  San  Pasqual  was  at  the  foot  of  Cerro  de  San  Pasqual  (Mohawk 
Peak)  about  opposite  Norton,  which  is  on  the  Yuma-Phoenix  road. 
The  saddle  animals  were  taken  across  the  river  to  pasture  while  in 
camp  here  (Font).  Font  tells  us  that  the  Opas  and  Cocomaricopas 
extended  down  the  Gila  from  Gila  Bend  to  this  point,  and  comprised 
three  thousand  souls.  He  suggested  for  them  two  missions,  at  Upa- 
soitac  and  Agua  Caliente. 


'ima  women. 


%mm^      ft 


Photo  by  Russell 


Cocomaricopa  women, 


Drinking  from   a   desert  pozo. 


hoto  ))V  Bolton 


T\\v  ("olorndo   River  at   Yuma   Junction 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  33 

these  officials  say  that  they  will  not  be  entirely  satis- 
fied if  I  am  not  present  at  the  ceremony  with  Cap- 
tain Palma  and  when  they  smoke  and  dance  with 
the  tribe  under  his  command.  Therefore  I  sent 
couriers  to  the  Opas  whom  we  left  behind,  and  to 
other  tribes,  their  allies,  who  have  made  certain  and 
perpetual  peace,  promising  them  to  enforce  it  to- 
gether with  everything  conducive  to  their  welfare. — 
19.    From  Tubac  to  San  Pasqual,  85  leagues. 

Sunday,  November  19. — At  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning  a  soldier  reported  that  his  wife,  Dolores, 
had  been  taken  with  violent  parturition  pains.  I  got 
up  immediately  to  arrange  that  she  be  given  assist- 
ance, wherewith  she  successfully  gave  birth  to  a  boy, 
for  which  reason  I  suspended  the  march  for  today. 
At  a  suitable  hour  the  child  was  baptized. 

Monday,  November  20. — The  mother  not  being 
in  a  fit  condition  to  travel,  it  was  necessary  to  remain 
here  today. 

Tuesday,  November  21. — The  patient  being  taken 
with  severe  pains  and  other  troubles  following  upon 
the  childbirth,  it  was  not  possible  to  march  today. 
In  the  days  just  past,  especially  yesterday  and 
today,  the  cold  has  been  so  severe  that  as  a  result 
of  it  and  of  the  ice,  six  of  our  saddle  animals  have 
died  during  the  last  four  days.  In  the  course  of  the 
carrying^  which  it  has  been  necessary  to  make  at 
this  place  there  has  been  found  in  an  estuary  of  the 
river  a  great  quantity  of  salt  that  is  both  white  and 

1  Tragino. 


34       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

hard,  from  which  the  necessary  supply  has  been 
obtained. 

Wednesday,  November  22. — At  half  past  eleven 
we  set  forth  on  the  march,  continuing  west-south- 
west along  the  bottom  lands  of  the  Gila  by  a  road 
that  was  sandy  in  part,  for  in  the  stretch  from  this 
place  to  the  junction  with  the  Colorado  begin  the  lit- 
tle sand  hills  which  we  commonly  call  medanos.  They 
very  badly  crippled  the  riding  animals  because  of 
their  natural  difficulty,  as  we  experienced  today,  and 
now  especially  with  the  horned  cattle.  But  having 
accomplished  the  passage  and  covered  five  leagues 
in  as  many  hours,  we  halted  for  the  night  at  the  foot 
of  a  lone  hill  which  we  called  Santa  Cicilia,  where 
the  first  pasturage  was  found.' — 20.  From  Tubac  to 
Santa  Cicilia,  88  leagues. 

Thursday,  November  23. — Having  loaded  the 
packs,  and  even  begun  the  march,  the  men  who  were 
driving  the  cattle  reported  that  many  beeves  were 
lacking  and  had  gone  into  the  brush  along  the  river, 
from  which  they  could  not  extract  them.  On  hear- 
ing this  news,  which  required  some  delay  and  caused 
some  trouble,  I  went  back  with  men  and  also  ordered 
those  who  were  already  on  the  way  to  return,  since 

1  Anza  gives  the  distance  as  five  and  Font  as  six  leagues.  Anza  's 
totals  are  incorrect  here  (88  instead  of  90).  The  Cerro  de  Santa 
Cecilia  was  Antelope  Hill.  Near  this  place  is  Antelope  Bridge,  where 
the  road  crosses  the  river.  Baker  Peaks  are  a  few  miles  south.  Font 
tells  us  that  the  Indians  called  the  hill  Cerrito  del  Metato,  which,  in 
fact,  it  resembles  in  shape.  He  mentions  a  ridge  of  sand  hills  on  the 
left  all  the  way  from  San  Pasqual.  The  ridge  is  still  there,  and 
extends  west  nearly  to  Wellton. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  35 

as  a  result  of  the  occurrence  there  was  not  time 
enough  now  to  get  to  the  camp  site,  which  it  was 
necessary  to  reach  in  the  daytime,  for  otherwise  we 
should  expose  ourselves  to  still  greater  delays.  The 
work  of  extracting  the  cattle  from  the  brush  was 
completed  at  the  end  of  the  afternoon,  after  im- 
ponderable labor,  because  the  animals  obstinately 
refused  to  travel  and  in  order  to  escape  it  refused 
to  come  out  of  their  hiding  places,  where  they  be- 
came so  enraged  that  they  attacked  as  if  they  were 
wild  cattle.  At  nightfall  a  woman  who  is  near 
parturition  was  taken  with  pains  which  continued 
the  whole  night  long. 

Friday,  November  24. — Because  this  woman  was 
suffering  with  most  severe  pains  it  was  necessary 
to  suspend  the  march  today.  Later  in  the  day  it 
was  seen  that  the  pains  were  not  those  most  appro- 
priate for  the  complete  result,  and  for  this  reason 
measures  were  taken  to  prevent  the  miscarriage 
with  which  she  was  threatened,  by  means  of  such 
medicines  as  it  was  possible  to  give  her,  and  as 
a  result  she  improved  during  the  night. 

Saturday,  November  25. — At  half  past  nine  we 
moved  our  train  and  set  forth  on  the  march  to  the 
west-southwest.  In  this  direction  we  traveled  four 
leagues  in  as  many  hours,  along  the  bottom  lands 
of  the  river,  over  ground  that  was  as  soft  as  it  was 
full  of  thick  brush,  and  as  a  result  of  which  one  of 
our  horses  died.  At  half  past  one  we  halted  in  order 
to  pass  the  night  at  a  place  where  pasturage  was 


36       THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

found  and  which  we  called  Lagnna  Salada/  Shortly 
after  twelve  o'clock  I  was  met  by  a  messenger  from 
Palma,  captain  of  the  Yumas,  who  was  sent  to  wel- 
come me  and  to  tell  me  that  for  four  days  he  had 
been  awaiting  me  about  eight  leagues  this  side  of 
his  house,  but  since  I  did  not  come  he  had  returned 
to  assemble  provisions  and  prepare  lodgings  for  me 
there,  and  to  ask  if  I  would  please  inform  him  just 
when  I  should  arrive,  in  order  that  he  might  return 
to  meet  me,  as  he  desired  to  see  me  and  all  my  people. 
— 21.    From  Tubac  to  Laguna  Salada,  92  leagues. 

Sunday,  November  26. — At  ten  o'clock  we  began 
our  march,  continuing  along  the  same  bottom  lands 
and  over  the  same  kind  of  country,  going  west-north- 
west with  some  turns  to  the  west.  In  this  direction 
we  traveled  until  nearly  two  o'clock,  covering  about 
four  leagues,  at  the  end  of  which  we  halted  for  the 
night  at  a  place  with  some  pasturage  near  some  hills 
called  Cerros  del  Cajon. — 22.  From  Tubac  to  the 
Cerros  del  Cajon,^  96  leagues. 

Monday,  November  27. — At  half  past  nine  we 
continued  our  march,  skirting  some  hills  on  the  left 
and  going  toward  the  west  with  some  turns  to  the 
west-northwest,  until,  at  the  end  of  three  leagues, 

1  Anza  says  four  leagues  and  Font  five.  Camp  was  west  of  Well- 
ton,  in  the  vicinity  of  Reynolds  Well.  Font  calls  the  lake  the  Laguna 
Salobre,  and  says  it  was  an  overflow  of  the  river  and  about  a  league 
from  it. 

2  Font  gives  the  direction  as  four  leagues  northwest,  in  sight  of 
the  river,  paralleling  the  Gila  Eange.  Camp  was  east  of  Dome  near 
the  west  turn  of  the  river.  The  Cerros  del  Cajon  (the  Hills  of  the 
Canyon)  were  some  isolated  peaks  near  the  river  at  that  point. 
By  a  slip  Anza's  copyist  here  writes  Tex6n  for  Cajon. 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  37 

and  having  traveled  a  little  more  than  three  hours, 
we  came  to  the  end  of  the  hills  which  we  were  skirt- 
ing, when  I  was  obliged  to  halt  for  the  night  at  a 
place  called  Los  Cerritos,  because  there  was  pastur- 
age here,  which  is  lacking  all  the  way  to  the  junction 
of  the  rivers,  a  stretch  which  is  difficult  to  cover 
because  the  ground  is  of  pure  sand/ — 23.  From 
Tubac  to  Los  Cerritos,  99  leagues. 

1  Camp  was  near  the  west  end  of  the  pass  through  Gila  Eange. 
Font  gives  the  distance  as  two  leagues  west-northwest,  and  says  they 
camped  **in  a  pass  through  which  the  Gila  Eiver  runs.**  Anza  says 
they  were  at  the  *  *  end  of  the  hills ' '  they  were  skirting.  Los  Cerritos 
are  some  small  peaks. 


THROUGH  YUMA  LAND 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Salvador 
Palma,  captain  of  the  Ynmas,  arrived  at  our  camp 
with  a  following  of  more  than  thirty  of  his  people, 
all  unarmed.  As  soon  as  he  saw  me  he  began  to 
embrace  me  and  to  give  me  the  most  emphatic  signs 
of  joy  and  satisfaction  at  my  arrival,  which  he  told 
me  was  shared  by  all  his  tribe  and  all  those  along 
the  river  who  know  me. 

This  heathen  captain  had  the  courtesy  to  ask  me 
about  the  health  of  his  Majesty  and  of  his  Excellency 
the  Viceroy,  telling  me  that  I  was  fortunate  for 
having  seen  them,  as  they  told  him  when  he  was  at 
the  presidio  of  San  Miguel,  and  favored  by  having 
heard  them  speak  ;^  and  that  in  order  to  hear  them 
he  would  gladly  take  off  his  ears  and  put  on  some 
Spanish  ears  so  that  he  might  understand  what  they 
would  say.  He  begged  me  to  tell  him  whether  the 
Spaniards  and  fathers  were  now  coming  whom  he 
had  requested  the  governor  to  send  to  his  country, 
since  for  a  long  time  he  had  desired  it,  and  in  order 
to  make  himself  deserving  of  it  he  had  strictly  ful- 
filled all  the  commands  which  I  had  given  him,  and 

1  Palma  here  alludes  to  Anza  's  recent  visit  to  Mexico  City,  where 
he  had  seen  Viceroy  Bucareli.  Of  course  he  had  not  seen  the  king 
there. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  39 

especially  that  of  refraining  from  war  with  any 
tribe.  From  this  he  excepted  the  tribe  of  the  moun- 
tain range  to  the  west,  because  he  had  heard  that 
these  people  had  gone  to  our  new  establishments  of 
Alta  California  to  steal  the  horses  and  that  they 
had  killed  one  of  our  men/  But  with  the  rest  he  had 
maintained  peace,  and  now  had  formed  alliances 
with  all,  and  restrained  them  from  making  war  with 
various  other  tribes.  In  this,  because  of  his  warlike 
disposition,  he  had  made  no  little  sacrifice,  as  a  gift 
to  God  and  the  king  who  had  commanded  him.  And 
finally,  all  that  he  had  done  and  was  doing  with  the 
tribes,  and  all  that  he  hoped  to  do,  was  in  order  that 
all  these  things  might  be  perpetuated,  and  that  the 
Spaniards  and  missionaries  might  settle  here.  To 
this  end  he  offered  all  his  lands  in  the  name  of  his 
tribe,  since  all  would  be  pleased  if  we  should  come 
for  these  purposes,  and  especially  to  Christianize 
them,  for  they  wished  to  embrace  all  the  laws  of  our 
religion,  of  which  they  had  some  information,  and 
he  especially,  because  he  had  dealt  with  our  own 
people  in  their  settlements;  and  with  this  under- 
standing I  must  remain  in  his  country  with  all  of 
my  expedition  and  report  to  the  king  about  it. 

To  this  I  answered  that  I  could  not  grant  what 
he  asked,  but  I  assured  him  that  just  as  his  Majesty 
and  his  Excellency  the  Viceroy  were  sending  me 
with  these  troops  and  families  to  another  place  to 
establish  the  true  religion,  because  this  had  been 

1  He  alluded  to  the  murder  of  Father  Jaume  at  San  Diego. 


40       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

promised  to  its  natives  previously,  just  so  he  and 
all  his  people  would  obtain  the  same  favor  in  due 
time.  He  accepted  my  reply,  but  added  that  if  by 
the  time  of  my  return  our  establishment  in  his 
country  had  not  been  effected,  he  would  go  with  me 
to  request  it  of  his  Excellency  the  Viceroy.  To  this 
I  responded  that  I  would  very  gladly  conduct  him 
to  Mexico  on  condition  that  it  should  be  with  the 
approval  of  all  his  tribe,  and  that  with  this  in  view 
he  must  consult  with  them,  and  also  bear  in  mind  the 
great  distance  which  he  would  have  to  travel. 

In  view  of  all  the  foregoing  and  of  my  experience 
with  this  captain  and  his  tribe  since  my  first  visit, 
I  have  no  doubt  that  they  will  embrace  our  faith  and 
our  customs  with  all  complacency.  Indeed,  I  have 
superabundant  evidence  that  they  are  attached  to 
both  one  and  the  other.  One  of  many  proofs  is  that 
now  when  they  show  us  their  wives  they  boast  that 
they  have  only  one.  Another  is  that  they  still  know 
how  to  say  **Ave  Maria, '^  and  repeat  other  words 
belonging  to  our  prayers,  which  they  ask  us  to  teach 
them.  More  than  this,  we  have  found  them  now  so 
well  covered  for  modesty  ^s  sake  that  this  has  sur- 
prised us  as  much  as  their  nakedness  surprised  us 
when  they  came  before  us  on  the  first  occasion.  And 
finally,  we  note  that  they  preserve  the  slight  touch 
of  good  manners  which  we  instilled  in  them  when 
we  passed,  and  all,  generally  speaking,  urge  us  that 
now  we  shall  remain  to  reside  among  them.  On  the 
night  of  this  day  I  delivered  to  this  captain  the  suit 
of  clothes  sent  to  him  by  his  Excellency,  which  he 


ANZA'S  DIARY  41 

prized  in  the  highest  degree  and  showed  to  his 
people,  who  admired  it  with  the  same  show  of  enthu- 
siasm as  its  owner. 

With  these  heathen  in  so  friendly  a  disposition  as 
they  now  manifest,  I  have  not  had  much  hesitation 
in  trusting  to  them  the  safety  and  care  of  the  two 
fathers  who  by  order  of  his  Excellency  have  come 
to  remain  at  the  junction  of  the  rivers,  for  Captain 
Palma  has  told  me  that  in  his  tribe  and  in  his  house 
he  will  be  responsible  for  their  safety  as  well  as  for 
the  security  of  anything  that  I  may  leave  in  his  care. 

Tuesday,  November  28. — At  half  past  nine,  hav- 
ing moved  our  train,  we  set  forth  on  the  march  to 
the  west-southwest,  and  at  the  end  of  four  leagues 
and  as  many  hours  we  arrived  at  the  junction  of  the 
Gila  and  Colorado  rivers,  where,  after  safely  cross- 
ing the  first  stream  by  a  good  ford,  camp  was  made 
for  the  night.^ — 24.  From  Tubac  to  the  junction  of 
the  Gila  and  Colorado  rivers,  103  leagues. 

In  this  place  Captain  Palma  had  provided  for 
our  lodging  a  large  house  made  of  branches,  in  which 
we  were  received  by  his  wife  and  family,  and  by  the 
family  of  another  captain,  his  principal  subaltern,^ 
and  by  those  of  several  others  who  came  to  welcome 
me  one  by  one,  each  giving  to  all  of  us  special 
demonstrations  of  joy  at  our  arrival  and  likewise  of 

1  Font  gives  the  distance  as  five  leagues.  In  all  probability  they 
did  not  follow  all  the  bends  of  the  tortuous  river.  Anza  says  camp 
was  at  the  junction,  but  Font  says  it  was  about  a  league  above. 
When  Anza  was  here  formerly  this  camp  site  was  an  island,  but  now, 
in  November,  it  was  not  an  island. 

2  Evidently  Pablo,  he  of  the  ugly  face. 


42      THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

their  own  liberality.  Indeed,  they  invited  all  mem- 
bers of  the  expedition  to  eat,  giving  them  in  abun- 
dance beans,  calabashes,  maize,  wheat  and  other 
grains  which  are  used  by  them,  and  so  many  water- 
melons that  we  estimated  that  there  must  have  been 
more  than  three  thousand,^  of  which  articles  as  well 
as  of  the  other  things  mentioned  we  all  had  more 
than  we  could  use. 

Having  learned  that  the  four  soldier  explorers 
whom  I  sent  from  Agua  Caliente  had  arrived  this 
morning  at  the  other  side  of  the  Colorado,  I  sent 
them  orders  to  cross  over  to  report  to  me  on  the 
matters  I  had  entrusted  to  them.  In  response  the 
commander  crossed  over  and  reported  that  even 
though  for  six  consecutive  days  and  at  the  cost  of 
great  labor  they  had  looked  for  watering  places  and 
roads  in  the  directions  which  I  had  indicated  to 
them,  they  had  not  found  any  watering  places  or  any 
sign  that  there  were  any,  for  they  had  found  no 
tracks  of  either  people  or  animals,  but  that  having 
examined  those  which  we  already  knew,  they  had 
found  them  in  the  same  condition  as  when  we  made 
our  first  expedition. 

Wednesday,  November  29. — Being  told  by  this 
soldier  as  well  as  by  the  Yumas  that  the  Colorado 
River  has  no  ford,  it  being  necessary  to  swim  for 
a  long  stretch,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  I 
mounted  a  horse  to  go  to  explore.    Having  seen  the 

1  This  was  not  the  season  for  harvesting  watermelons.  They  had 
been  preserved  by  burying  them  in  dry  sand.  Father  Eixareh  tells 
us  of  this  custom. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  43 

river  I  had  no  doubt  that  the  report  was  true,  so  I 
made  arrangements  that  logs  should  be  brought  to 
make  rafts  on  which  to  take  over  safely  at  least  the 
women  and  the  pack  loads.  To  this  the  Indians 
raised  the  objection  that  it  was  not  possible  because 
the  water  was  too  cold/  and  that  at  best  it  would 
require  a  whole  day  to  take  over  a  single  raft  load, 
and  even  then  at  the  risk  of  its  being  lost. 

Facing  this  exigency  and  that  of  having  to  re- 
main here  many  days,  I  ordered  them  to  proceed 
with  the  bringing  of  logs.  Then,  going  along  the 
banks  of  the  river  upstream  with  a  soldier  of  spirit 
and  with  another  Yuma,  I  crossed  over  to  seek  a 
ford,  and  by  virtue  of  having  made  soundings  with 
the  horses  all  the  rest  of  the  morning,  about  one 
o  ^clock  in  the  afternoon  we  found  one,  although  it  was 
deep,  at  a  place  where  the  river  divides  into  three 
branches.  Besides  the  labor  of  finding  the  ford  in 
this  way  and  the  danger  we  were  in,  there  is  to  be 
added  especially  the  diiBficulty  of  having  to  go  back 
to  camp  through  an  impenetrable  thicket  which  we 
found  in  our  way  and  which  forced  us  to  go  on  foot. 

As  soon  as  I  returned  to  camp  I  sent  to  have  a 
road  opened.  This  was  accomplished  after  night- 
fall, and  at  that  time  I  gave  orders  for  crossing  the 
river  next  day,  with  the  precautions  which  seemed 
to  me  necessary.  All  received  the  orders  with  the 
more  pleasure  because  they  did  not  have  to  cross  on 
rafts,  being  frightened  by  what  they  had  heard  the 
Indians  say  in  regard  to  the  coldness  of  the  water. 

1  Too  cold  for  the  Indians  to  swim  across,  towing  the  raft. 


44       THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

Thursday,  November  30. — At  seven  o'clock  in 
the  morning  we  began  our  march  along  the  bottom 
lands  up  the  Colorado.  Going  for  about  a  quarter 
of  a  league^  we  unloaded,  in  order  to  take  over  all 
the  provisions  and  equipage  in  half  loads.  This 
having  been  done,  we  began  to  cross  the  first  branch 
of  the  river  on  the  largest  and  strongest  horses, 
leading  by  the  bridles  those  on  which  the  women  and 
children  were  riding;  and  as  a  precaution,  in  case 
any  one  should  fall,  I  stationed  in  front  ten  men  on 
the  downstream  side.  This  branch  was  crossed  in 
the  main  at  a  depth  of  five  and  a  half  palms  of  water 
and  in  the  middle  six.  The  second  branch  was 
crossed  at  a  depth  of  four  or  five  palms,  and  the 
last,  which  was  the  widest,  was  four  palms  deep  in 
most  places  and  six  and  a  half  at  the  deepest.  In 
these  crossings  we  had  no  other  mishap  than  the  fall- 
ing of  a  man  who  was  carrying  a  child,  but  he  was 
rescued  immediately.  Although  this  mishap  oc- 
curred a  second  time,  all  the  families,  the  baggage, 
and  most  of  the  provisions  got  over  to  this  bank 
of  the  river,  where  a  halt  was  made  to  assemble  and 

1  Font  says  that  camp  was  a  league  above  the  junction,  the 
latter  being  a  league  above  the  Puerto  de  la  Concepcion.  Anza 
says  that  the  distance  from  camp  to  the  other  side  of  the  Colorado 
where  they  forded  was  a  short  league.  Where  they  crossed,  the 
river  was  three  or  four  hundred  varas  wide  in  three  branches.  Three 
Yumas  carried  Father  Garces  across  on  their  shoulders,  two  at  his 
head  and  one  at  his  feet  "stretched  out  face  up*'  as  if  dead.  Font 
rode  across  on  a  horse,  led  by  one  Yuma,  with  another  at  either 
side  "holding  me  in  order  that  I  might  not  fall."  Father  Eixarch 
had  evidently  been  able  to  shift  for  himself,  for  no  comment  is  made 
about  him. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  45 

bring  over  the  rest  of  the  provisions,  there  not  being 
time  to  effect  this  today.  The  three  branches  of  this 
river,  if  they  were  united,  would  not  be  less  than 
two  hundred  and  forty  yards  wide,  which  is  about 
its  width  where  it  is  not  divided. 

Having  formerly  and  again  today  asked  Father 
Garces  to  tell  me  where  he  wished  to  stay  with  his 
companion,  in  order  that  I  might  make  arrange- 
ments to  leave  him  in  the  best  built  lodging,  I  went 
in  his  company,  now  late  in  the  afternoon,  to  the 
house  of  Captain  Palma,  distant  from  here  a  quarter 
of  a  league,  where  he  chose  to  await  my  return,  and 
after  nightfall  we  returned  to  our  camp.^ 

Friday,  December  1. — At  sunrise  I  returned  with 
our  men  and  tools  to  the  place  selected  by  the  fathers 

1  Anza  says  Palma 's  house  was  a  fourth  of  a  league  from  the 
camp  made  after  crossing  the  Colorado.  Font  says  that  Palma  *s 
village  and  the  friars '  cabin  were  about  a  league  downstream  west  by 
southwest,  from  the  camp,  and  that  Paso  de  la  Concepcion  was  about 
a  league  below  Palma 's  house.  Just  below  Palma 's  house  the  fourth 
branch  of  the  Colorado  was  passed. 

Father  Garces  makes  this  entry  in  his  diary  for  December  1: 
*'This  same  evening  came  four  Jalchedun  women  with  one  man, 
saying  on  behalf  of  their  nation  that  already  was  it  determined,  from 
the  message  that  we  had  sent  to  them,  to  make  peace  with  the  Yumas. 
Here  ensued  this  night  a  great  joke.  Asking  the  Jalchedun  of  affairs 
in  his  country,  he  told  us  that  there  was  in  his  land  a  man  who  had 
fled  from  the  new  Conversions  of  Calif ornias;  that  this  man  had  been 
killed  and  burned  by  the  nations  through  which  we  passed,  but  that 
he  had  managed  to  come  to  life  again  in  some  mysterious  manner; 
that  he  carried  with  him  a  viper,  and  finally  that  he  was  a  great 
sorcerer,  and  that  he  was  killing  the  Jalchedunes;  in  consequence  of 
which  they  were  in  great  terror.  The  senor  comandante  was  some- 
what mortified  notwithstanding  the  great  patience  which  he  expends 
upon  Indians,  worthy  to  be  imitated  by  all  who  devote  themselves 
to  such  enterprises.'*  (Garces,  Diary,  in  Elliott  Coues,  On  the  Trail 
of  a  Spanish  Pioneer,  I,  154-157.) 


46       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

in  which  to  remain,  where  I  commenced  to  build  a 
cabin  in  order  that  they  might  have  shelter.  At 
three  in  the  afternoon  a  report  was  brought  me  from 
camp  that  two  of  the  invalids,  out  of  ten  whom  we 
customarily  have  had  since  we  set  out  from  Tubac, 
were  in  such  danger  that  the  sacrament  of  penance 
had  been  administered  to  them.  Thereupon  I  re- 
turned to  camp  and  had  them  given  the  few  medi- 
cines which  it  was  possible  to  find. 

Saturday,  December  2. — In  the  morning  the 
patients  were  so  ill  that  it  was  thought  that  both 
of  them  would  die  before  the  day  was  over,  and  con- 
sequently it  was  not  possible  to  march.  For  this 
reason  I  sent  my  subaltern  to  attend  to  the  building 
of  the  cabin  for  the  fathers.  They  returned  at  the 
end  of  the  afternoon  with  a  report  that  it  was  nearly 
finished. 

Sunday,  December  3. — Although  during  the  night 
the  two  patients  were  in  the  same  danger  as  yester- 
day, I  decided  to  move  camp  to  a  better  site  to  see 
if  it  might  afford  them  some  relief.  For  this  pur- 
pose we  set  forth  on  the  march  a  little  before  eleven 
o^clock,  following  the  Colorado  Eiver,  and  after 
traveling  half  an  hour  or  a  little  less  we  halted  at 
the  place  where  Captain  Palma  lives  and  where  he 
is  doing  what  is  necessary  for  the  fathers  who  are 
remaining.^  Here  we  halted  for  the  night.  The  rest 
of  the  day  was  devoted  to  finishing  the  cabin  already 
mentioned,  and  to  separating  the  provisions   and 

1  Note  that  Anza  here  gives  the  distance  from  camp  to  Palma 's 
house  as  half  an  hour^s  travel. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  47 

other  things  which  are  being  left  for  the  main- 
tenance of  the  two  missionaries  mentioned  for  more 
than  four  months.  With  them  are  remaining  three 
interpreters  and  the  same  number  of  servants,  and 
we  are  leaving  saddle  animals  for  the  use  of  all  of 
them,  under  the  protection  of  the  Yuma  tribe  and 
their  Captain  Palma,  who  is  remaining  in  their  com- 
pany. For  this  reason  he  is  not  going  with  me  as 
far  as  he  went  on  the  last  occasion. — 25.  From  Tu- 
bac  to  the  habitation  of  the  Yumas  on  the  Colorado 
Eiver,  103%  leagues. 

Monday,  December  4. — Having  moved  our  train, 
at  half  past  nine  we  set  forth  on  the  march  down  the 
Colorado  River  toward  the  west,  from  which  direc- 
tion we  varied  many  times,  as  was  required  by  the 
impenetrable  thickets'  of  various  kinds  of  trees  and 
brush,  for  the  march  is  made  with  indescribable 
difficulty,  especially  when  it  is  necessary  to  drive 
cattle,  and  all  the  marches  which  follow  are  the 
same.  And  so  we  traveled  four  and  a  half  leagues 
in  more  than  ^ve  hours,  until  we  reached  the  villages 
of  San  Pablo,  a  place  well  peopled  with  heathen, 
where  a  halt  was  made  for  the  night.  It  was  not 
possible  to  bring  the  horned  cattle  to  this  spot  be- 
cause the  thickness  of  the  brush  prevented  our  doing 
so,  and  for  this  reason  they  remained  about  a  league 
back  of  the  place  where  we  all  camped.  Last  night 
the  cold  was  so  severe  that  it  has  increased  the  num- 
ber of  our  sick,  who  now  number  eleven,  and  as 
another  consequence  two  of  our  saddle  animals  have 

1  They  are  still  there. 


48       THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

died.' — 26.    From  Tubac  to  the  Cerro  de  San  Pablo 
on  the  same  river,  108  leagues. 

Tuesday,  December  5. — Before  ten  o'clock  we 
continued  our  march,  still  following  the  river,  by  a 
road  just  like  the  former  one,  thickly  settled  with 
heathen,  with  changes  in  direction  running  through 
the  whole  quadrant  from  west  to  south,  in  order  to 
avoid  the  brush  and  the  branches  of  the  river  which 
prevent  the  road  from  being  straight.  Having  cov- 
ered three  leagues  in  this  way,  at  a  quarter  to  one 
we  arrived  at  the  neighborhood  of  the  Laguna  de 
los  Coxas,  where  it  was  necessary  to  halt  for  the 
night  to  await  the  cattle,  for  they  could  not  reach 
this  place  until  five  in  the  afternoon.  To  one  of  our 
patients  who  in  the  night  appeared  about  to  die, 
the  sacrament  of  penance  was  administered.  At  this 
lake  ends  the  jurisdiction  of  Captain  Palma  and  of 
the  Yuma  tribe,  which  is  followed  immediately  by 
the  tribe  of  the  Coxas.^ — 27.  From  Tubac  to  the 
Laguna  de  los  Cojas  on  the  same  river.  111  leagues. 

1  Camp  Cerro  de  San  Pablo  was  just  south  of  the  present  inter- 
national boundary  line,  below  Pilot  Knob  and  in  the  vicinity  of 
Algodones,  Baja  California.  Font  gives  this  march  in  more  detail. 
Immediately  on  leaving  camp  at  Palma  *s  village  they  crossed  a 
branch  of  the  Colorado,  a  small  overflow  from  far  above.  About  a 
league  after  starting  they  reached  Puerto  de  la  Concepci6n.  Here 
they  stopped  a  while  to  view  the  vast  expanse  of  the  Colorado  from 
the  heights.  Font  gives  the  day's  march  as  five  leagues,  west  by 
south;  one  to  Puerto  de  la  Concepcion,  and  four  more  to  camp,  near 
the  lagoon  of  the  rancherlas  of  Captain  Pablo  a  league  after  having 
passed  Cerro  de  San  Pablo,  past  whose  foot  the  river  flowed. 

2  Camp  was  at  a  lagoon  some  twelve  miles  southwest  of  Pilot 
Knob,  near  the  river.  Font  gives  this  march  as  four  leagues,  mainly 
southwest.     At  San  Pablo  the  river  turned  nearly  south  and  it  was 


h^  n^ 


*#^ 


Photo  by  Paden 
In  C'ovote  Canvon.     Fred  Clark  at  left. 


Photo  by  Stanley 
The  desert  north  of  Santa  Eosa  de  las  Lajas.     Mr.  Allen  at  right. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  49 

Wednesday,  December  6. — Eaising  our  camp,  at 
half  past  nine  we  continued  down  the  bottom  lands 
of  the  Colorado  Eiver,  with  changes  in  direction  all 
the  way  from  west  to  south  for  the  same  reasons  as 
yesterday.  Having  traveled  four  leagues  in  as  many 
hours,  we  arrived  at  the  Laguna  de  Santa  Olaya,^ 
where  a  halt  was  made  for  the  night,  but  the  horned 
cattle  were  not  able  to  reach  the  place  during  the 
whole  day  because  of  the  hindrance  of  the  thickets. 
A  short  time  after  we  reached  this  lake  several 
natives  of  the  vicinity  also  arrived.  Among  them 
there  were  three  fishermen  with  nets  who  in  less 
than  an  hour  caught  for  us  more  than  a  thousand 
fish  from  a  third  to  a  half  a  jeme  long,  among  them 
being  curbinas  and  skates.  There  is  no  doubt,  there- 
fore, that  these  fish  come  from  the  sea  during  the 
overflow  of  the  Colorado  River,  which  is  the  time 
when  this  and  other  lakes  fill  up,  and  consequently 
it  is  likewise  certain  that  there  is  no  fall  in  the  river 

not  seen  again,  being  at  some  distance  to  the  left,  yet  they  had 
been  following  its  general  course.  At  the  right  were  the  great  sand 
dunes.  The  route  lay  near  the  line  of  the  old  Salton  River — Imperial 
Canal. 

1  Camp  was  above  Pescadero  Dam.  Anza  gives  the  day  *s  march 
as  four  leagues  southwest,  Font  as  five  leagues  southwest.  In  other 
words,  the  Laguna  del  Cojat  was  about  half  way  from  Pilot  Knob 
to  Laguna  de  Santa  Olaya.  Font  says  **the  Laguna  de  Santa  Olalla 
is  narrow  like  a  ditch  (zanjon)  and  more  than  a  league  long,  run- 
ning in  almost  the  same  direction  as  the  river,  but  apart  from  it 
about  two  leagues  or  somewhat  more.*'  Recently  the  Colorado  left 
its  old  channel  and  swung  west  six  or  eight  miles  along  the  channel 
of  Abe j as  River.  North  of  Pescadero  Dam  and  just  west  of  the 
Colorado,  there  is  a  long  narrow  bed  of  an  old  lake.  This  may 
have  been  Laguna  de  Santa  Olaya.    A  jeme  is  a  short  span. 


50       THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

until  it  reaches  the  Gulf  of  California,  just  as  the 
Yumas  assured  me  last  time. — 28.  From  Tubac  to 
the  Laguna  de  Santa  Olaya  at  the  same  river,  115 
leagues. 

Thursday,  December  7. — At  this  place  we  are  to 
leave  the  river,^  and  have  to  make  three  marches 
without  any  pasturage  and  with  very  little  water, 
for  lack  of  which  and  especially  of  the  latter  it  is 
necessary  to  make  the  march  in  divisions  on  differ- 
ent days,  in  order  to  get  enough  water  for  all.  I 
have  therefore  decided  to  rest  the  animals  here  for 
two  days  and  give  time  for  our  invalids  to  recup- 
erate somewhat,  so  that  they  may  be  able  to  stand 
the  three  marches  which  are  necessary.  The  cattle, 
likewise,  will  have  to  make  two  marches  without 
water,  for  in  their  wild  condition  it  is  not  possible 
to  water  them  with  vessels  as  is  done  with  the 
horses. 

Friday,  December  8. — ^We  spent  the  day  at  this 
site,  which  belongs  to  the  Cogat  tribe.  Since  I  set 
forth  in  my  former  diary  the  details  regarding  the 
superiority  of  the  lands  here  for  crops  I  will  not 
repeat  them  now,  but  will  simply  add  that  I  am  con- 
firmed in  my  opinion  that  the  Cogats  are  more 
numerous  than  the  Yumas,  and  that  the  same  tribes 
follow  after  these  which  I  mentioned  in  the  same 
diary. 

To  this  tribe,  to  whom  presents  of  glass  beads 
and  tobacco  were  given,  as  to  the  foregoing  tribes, 

1  This  is  an  indication  that  Anza  had  been  following  the  general 
course  of  the  river  up  to  this  time. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  51 

we  have  been  indebted  for  their  supplying  us  much 
more  liberally  than  the  others  with  their  present 
crops,  such  as  maize,  beans,  and  calabashes,  and 
more  than  two  thousand  watermelons  of  enormous 
size.  Indeed,  we  threw  watermelons  away  and  left 
them  because  we  had  nothing  in  which  to  carry  them. 
Likewise,  they  have  continued  to  bring  us  skates 
and  curbinas,  besides  the  other  fish  which  were  men- 
tioned on  the  jBlrst  of  the  month.^ 

1  See  five  letters  and  a  list  of  supplies  written  by  Anza  at  Santa 
Olaja  on  December  8,  1775  (Vol.  V  of  this  work). 


FROM  SANTA  OLAYA  TO  SAN  GABRIEL 

Saturday,  December  9. — In  keeping  with  the  plan 
outlined  above,  those  of  us  who  make  up  the  first 
division  set  forth  on  the  march  at  half  past  nine. 
Going  west,  and  having  traveled  five  leagues  in  as 
many  hours,  we  arrived  at  El  Carrisal,^  whose  wells, 
called  Pozos  de  la  Alegria,-  we  opened,  and  they 
appeared  to  have  water  enough  to  supply  the  neces- 
sities of  all  members  of  all  the  divisions,  each  of 
which  comprises  a  third  of  the  entire  expedition, 
with  the  exception  of  the  cattle.  These,  for  the 
reason  which  has  been  given,  are  going  directly  from 
this  Carrisal  to  San  Sebastian,  and  since  they  have 
to  travel  two  days  without  water,  I  left  instructions 
to  the  men  who  are  conducting  them  to  carry  water 
necessary  for  their  own  use.  In  the  same  way  it  is 
provided  that  the  three  divisions,  both  the  troops 

1  Camp  was  on  Paredones  River.  Anza  gives  the  march  as  five 
leagues  west  from  Santa  Olaya  to  El  Carrizal.  Font  calls  this  Pozo 
Salobre  del  Carrizal,  and  gives  it  as  seven  leagues  west-northwest, 
a  direction  which  corresponds  to  the  diaries  of  the  first  expedition. 
On  the  way,  about  a  league  from  Santa  Olaya,  they  came  to  a  salty 
lagoon  without  pasturage.  This  may  well  have  been  Laguna  de  los 
Nidos  (now  dry),  which  is  situated  close  to  Rodriguezes  store,  and 
some  two  or  more  miles  from  Pescadero  Dam.  A  little  over  half 
way  (four  leagues  out  of  seven,  according  to  Font)  they  passed  the 
salty  little  well  of  El  Rosario. 

2  Wells  of  Joy,  a  name  given  them  on  the  previous  expedition. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  53 

and  the  pack  train,  shall  carry  maize,  which  was 
brought  for  the  purpose,  and  grass  in  bundles,  in 
order  to  give  the  saddle  animals  some  food  where 
there  is  none  to  be  had. — 29.  From  Tubac  to  the 
Pozos  del  Carrisal,  or  Pozos  de  la  Alegria,  120 
leagues. 

Sunday,  December  10. — Having  given  water  very 
sparingly  to  all  the  mounts,  we  set  forth  on  the 
march  today  at  half  past  twelve,  going  west  with 
some  slight  turns  to  the  west-northwest.  In  this 
way  we  traveled  about  five  leagues  in  a  little  more 
than  five  hours,  until  we  came  to  a  deep  arroyo^ 
which  offered  nothing  except  an  abundance  of  fire- 
wood, but  this  was  very  much  needed  as  a  protection 
from  the  severe  cold,  and  so  a  halt  was  made  here 
for  the  night.  At  this  place  our  mounts  were  given 
the  forage  and  grain  which  were  brought  as  a  pre- 
caution against  the  lack  of  pasturage. — 30.  From 
Tubac  to  the  Arroyo  Hondo,  125  leagues. 

Monday,  December  11. — At  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning  I  gave  orders  that  grain  should  be  given 

1  Arroyo  Hondo  was  about  where  New  Eiver  is,  and  the  camp 
was  not  far  from  Pascualitos.  Anza  gives  the  march  as  five  leagues 
west  and  west-northwest  to  Arroyo  Hondo.  Font  calls  it  Barranca 
Seca,  and  says  the  march  was  seven  leagues  west-northwest.  In 
other  words,  El  Carrizal  was  just  half  way  between  Santa  Olaya  and 
Arroyo  Hondo,  or  Barranca  Seca.  Font  says  the  road  was  ^*  without 
sand  dunes,  because  we  went  around  them  on  one  side  and  the  other.  * ' 
On  the  way  numerous  barrancas  were  crossed.  Half  way  they  passed 
Pozo  de  las  Angustias,  so  they  were  on  Anza's  first  trail.  According 
to  Font,  Arroyo  Hondo  was  just  half  way  to  Santa  Eosa,  and  El 
Carrizal  just  a  fourth  of  the  distance.  Note,  too,  that  Anza  gives 
the  direction  as  west  to  Carrizal  and  thence  west-northwest.  Anza 
and  Font  agree  as  to  proportional  distance. 


54       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

to  the  animals  again.  Having  saddled  and  loaded 
them,  we  set  forth  on  the  march  at  seven  o'clock, 
traveling  west  with  some  turns  to  the  west-north- 
west, and  going  around  many  sand  dunes  which 
crossed  our  trail.  By  this  means,  and  with  footing 
much  more  favorable  than  we  had  expected,  we 
arrived  at  vespers  at  the  Wells  of  Santa  Rosa  de  las 
Lajas,  having  traveled  ten  leagues  in  a  little  more 
than  ten  hours.^  Although  at  daybreak  I  sent  men 
ahead  with  the  necessary  tools  to  open  these  wells, 
I  found  them  running  very  slowly,  but  having  set 
myself  personally  at  the  task  we  were  able  to  give 
water  to  many  saddle  animals  before  ten  o'clock. 
All  day  and  tonight  the  weather  has  been  cruelly 
cold,  and  to  this  is  added  the  fact  that  this  site  is 
lacking  in  firewood  and  it  has  not  been  possible  to 
gather  any  through  lack  of  light. — 31.  From  Tubac 
to  Santa  Rosa  de  las  Lajas,  135  leagues. 

1  The  Wells  of  Santa  Kosa  de  las  Lajas  were  at  Yuha  Well,  a  water- 
ing place  in  an  arroyo  seven  miles  nearly  straight  south  of  Plaster 
City.  Anza  gives  the  march  as  ten  leagues  west  and  west-northwest, 
Font  as  ten  west-northwest  and  four  a  little  more  westward.  Font 
says  this  place  of  Santa  Rosa  is  an  arroyo  which  appears  to  run 
under  the  sand,  and  to  come  out  of  some  low  hills  which  are  spurs 
running  out  from  the  Sierra  Madre  which  comes  up  from  California 
Baja.  They  passed  on  the  left  "El  Cerro  del  Imposible  near  here, 
which  is  a  very  high  and  rough  Cerro,  apart  from  the  Sierra  de  San 
Geronimo"  (Cocopah  Range).  This  Cerro  del  Imposible  was  the 
mountain  which  Anza  failed  to  reach  on  his  first  trip.  It  was  Signal 
Mountain,  the  final  peak  of  Cocopah  Range,  twelve  miles  west  of 
Mexicali,  and  just  south  of  the  boundary  line.  Font  tells  us  that 
this  road  from  El  Carrizal  to  Santa  Rosa  was  discovered  by  the  sol- 
diers sent  ahead  from  the  Gila  on  November  16,  and  that  by  it  a  way 
was  found  through  the  sand  dunes.     Who  were  these  pathfinders? 


ANZA'S  DIARY  55 

Tuesday,  December  12. — At  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning  I  set  to  work  at  the  wells,  and  at  this  time 
we  began  by  the  light  of  the  moon  to  water  the  rest 
of  the  saddle  animals,  and  we  also  watered  again 
those  which  had  drunk  the  night  before.  As  a  result, 
before  ten  o'clock  all  were  satisfied,  and  the  wells 
were  running  so  freely  that  from  today  forward,  so 
long  as  they  are  kept  clean,  they  are  capable  of 
furnishing,  with  some  delay,  all  that  is  necessary  for 
three  hundred  or  more  animals.  And  there  would 
be  a  still  greater  abundance  if  the  wells  should  be 
given  secure  curbing,  for  in  this  case  they  would  be 
a  vara  deeper  than  at  present.  This  accomplished, 
in  spite  of  the  strong,  cold  wind  which  has  continued 
we  set  forth  on  the  march  at  half  past  twelve,  going 
north-northwest,  with  some  turns  to  the  north.  In 
this  direction  and  over  good  terrain  we  traveled 
about  four  leagues  in  as  many  hours,  at  the  end  of 
which  we  halted  at  the  only  site  where  there  was  fire- 
wood and  pasturage,  because  fuel  was  extremely 
necessary  as  a  protection  from  the  severe  cold,  and 
to  await  the  rain  which  was  threatening  from  all 
directions.^ — 32.  From  Tubac  to  the  plain  before 
arriving  at  San  Sebastian,  109  [139]  leagues. 

1  Camp  was  about  three  miles  north  of  Plaster  City.  Anza  gives 
the  march  as  four  leagues  north-northwest  and  north  from  Santa 
Rosa.  Font  for  once  makes  the  distance  shorter,  giving  it  as  three 
leagues  north,  and  calls  the  camp  Arroyo  Seco.  It  was  at  Coyote 
Wash,  near  Sacketts  Well  on  the  old  road  from  Mexicali  to  Carrizo 
Station.  It  can  be  reached  from  the  El  Centro-San  Diego  highway 
by  turning  north  at  Plaster  City. 


56       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Wednesday,  December  13. — Day  broke  with 
threatening  signs  of  snow,  and  indeed  at  daylight  a 
few  flakes  fell,  and  it  was  seen  that  they  were  more 
abundant  in  the  sierra  which  we  had  near  by  on  our 
left.  Nevertheless  we  set  forth  on  the  march  at  half 
past  eight,  going  north-northwest  over  better  terrain 
than  the  day  before.  We  traveled  in  this  direction 
about  five  and  a  half  leagues,  finishing  the  day^s 
march  by  going  another  league  and  a  half  to  the 
north,  in  order  to  reach  the  Marsh  of  San  Sebastian, 
which  we  succeeded  in  doing  at  half  past  three.^  The 
few  heathen  who  live  here  came  out  to  welcome  us 
with  great  demonstrations  of  affection.  At  the  time 
when  we  halted  the  strong  cold  wind,  which  had  been 
very  hard  on  our  people,  especially  the  women  and 
children,  quieted  down  somewhat.  The  sky  also 
cleared  a  little  more,  and  we  were  able  to  see  that 

1  The  day's  march  was  between  Carrizo  Creek  and  Superstition 
Mountain.  Camp  was  made  on  San  Felipe  Creek  about  at  Harper's 
Well.  On  the  old  maps  Mesquite  Drill  Hole  is  shown  here,  on  the 
road  from  Carrizo  Station.  Camp  was  four  miles  west  of  Kane 
Spring,  which  is  on  the  modern  highway  from  Brawley  to  Indio. 
Anza  gives  the  march  as  five  and  one-half  leagues  north-northwest, 
and  one  and  one-half  north,  but  adds  only  five  and  one-half  leagues 
to  the  totals.  Font  gives  it  as  seven  long  leagues  north-northwest 
and  north.  San  Sebastian  was  a  spring  of  water  somewhat  hot  or 
warm  when  it  emerged,  deep  and  permanent,  like  a  marsh,  and  flow- 
ing very  little.  Near  it  there  was  a  miry  ditch  or  zanjon.  Round 
about  the  earth  was  white  with  salt,  and  mesquite  grew  there.  Font 
called  the  Indians  Jecuiches.  Harper's  Well  is  a  modern  well,  on  the 
banks  of  Fish  Creek  or  Carrizo  Creek.  About  four  hundred  feet 
northeast  of  it,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  creek,  there  is  a  natural  well, 
now  dry,  but  with  a  large  mesquite  growing  in  the  middle,  dead  car- 
rizo round  about,  and  pottery  and  other  signs  of  Indian  occupation 
near  by.     To  the  west  there  are  numerous  salty  springs. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  57 

the  sierras  through  which  we  had  to  travel  were 
more  deeply  covered  with  snow  than  we  had  ever 
imagined  would  be  the  case.  Taking  advantage  of 
this  quiet  weather,  I  had  all  the  firewood  gathered 
that  was  possible,  though  it  was  not  much  because 
the  region  is  lacking  in  it,  in  order  to  withstand 
the  cold  wind  which  came  up  again  with  great  force 
at  five  o'clock  with  preludes  of  rain  and  snow. 
These  inclemencies  continued  until  night. — 33.  From 
Tubac  to  the  Cienega  de  San  Sebastian,  144% 
leagues. 

Thursday,  December  14. — As  soon  as  day  began 
to  dawn  it  commenced  to  snow  with  fierce  and  ex- 
tremely cold  wind,  which  continued  the  entire  day, 
and  for  this  reason  it  was  not  possible  to  march. 
And  since  it  is  probable  on  account  of  the  snow  that 
on  the  next  journey,  to  San  Gregorio,  there  will  not 
be  such  a  shortage  of  water  as  we  have  assumed, 
I  have  decided  to  wait  in  this  place  for  the  two  divi- 
sions which  are  following  me. 

At  twelve  o'clock  the  cattle  arrived.  As  I  have 
said,  they  came  by  a  different  route  from  the  rest 
of  the  expedition,  and  in  bringing  them  we  lost  ten 
head  which  became  tired  out.  These  animals,  not- 
withstanding that  they  had  not  been  watered  for 
four  days,  needed  so  little  in  this  present  season 
that  even  when  they  were  taken  to  the  verge  of  the 
water  most  of  them  preferred  to  eat  rather  than 
drink.^ 

1  Father  Font  gives  a  different  impression  on  this  point. 


58       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

The  second  division  did  not  put  in  its  appearance 
during  the  whole  day,  although  it  ought  to  be  here, 
and  for  this  reason  I  conclude  that  it  encountered 
the  same  storm  as  ourselves  and  was  prevented  by 
it  from  marching.  At  eleven  o'clock  at  night  it 
stopped  snowing,  but  the  mountains  and  plains  con- 
tinued to  be  so  covered  with  snow  that  it  looked  like 
daylight,  and  there  now  followed  a  very  severe 
freeze,  as  a  consequence  of  which  this  was  a  night 
of  extreme  hardship. 

Friday,  December  15. — At  daybreak  it  was  very 
windy,  and  the  snow  which  had  fallen  the  day  and 
the  night  before  was  very  hard  from  the  freezing 
weather  which  had  preceded,  as  a  result  of  which 
six  of  our  cattle  and  one  mule  died.  At  a  quarter 
past  twelve  the  second  division  began  to  arrive,  in 
charge  of  the  sergeant.  The  people  were  crippled 
by  the  storm,  which  overtook  them  midway  between 
Santa  Rosa  and  here.  In  spite  of  all  their  efforts  to 
reach  here  yesterday  they  were  unable  to  do  so, 
and  on  the  way  several  persons  were  frozen,  one 
of  them  so  badly  that  in  order  to  save  his  life  it 
was  necessary  to  bundle  him  up  for  two  hours  be- 
tween four  fires.  As  a  result  of  these  inclemencies 
five  saddle  animals  died  in  their  division.  But  aside 
from  these  there  were  no  disasters  on  their  march, 
and,  indeed,  because  the  division  was  slower  than 
the  first  and  came  by  a  made  road,  with  wells  open, 
it  was  more  conveniently  supplied  with  water  than 
the  former  division. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  59 

Saturday,  December  16. — I  remained  in  this  place 
awaiting  the  third  division.  This  morning  four  of 
our  cattle  died  from  injuries  and  cold  because  of 
the  severe  freezing  weather.  At  eleven  o  'clock  they 
informed  me  that  when  they  were  looking  for  some 
saddle  animals  which  had  disappeared  from  sight, 
they  found  that  they  were  being  driven  off  by  four 
of  the  heathen  who  had  come  to  see  us.  I  therefore 
ordered  the  sergeant  and  four  soldiers  to  go  and 
follow  them,  with  orders  that  if  they  should  over- 
take the  thieves  in  the  open  or  in  their  villages  they 
should  three  times  require  them  to  deliver  the  stolen 
animals,  giving  them  to  understand  that  if  they  did 
this  again  they  would  feel  the  force  of  our  arms, 
but  that  they  were  not  to  punish  them  with  weapons 
except  in  case  the  Indians  by  force  of  their  own 
arms  should  attempt  to  retain  the  saddle  animals 
or  refuse  to  deliver  them.  At  seven  o'clock  the 
sergeant  returned  with  the  report  that  he  found  the 
mounts  in  two  different  villages,  distant  about  four 
leagues,  where  not  a  single  man  was  to  be  seen,  but 
he  gave  the  women  who  were  there  to  understand 
what  his  orders  were,  so  that  they  might  report  them 
to  their  men.^ 

Sunday,  December  17. — Since  the  third  division 
did  not  appear  yesterday,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning  I  sent  two  soldiers  to  meet  it  with  twenty 
saddle  animals,  in  order  that  they  may  have  new 

1  The  animals  were  evidently  recovered  in  the  Santa  Rosa  Moun- 
tains, to  the  north  of  camp. 


60       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

mounts  to  replace  those  which  may  be  tired  out  or 
made  useless  because  of  the  cold. 

At  half  past  three  in  the  afternoon  the  third  divi- 
sion arrived  at  this  place  in  command  of  Alferez 
Don  Joseph  Moraga.  His  forces  were  in  worse  con- 
dition than  the  two  earlier  divisions  because  the 
storm  of  snow  and  cold  had  caught  them  in  a  more 
exposed  position,  and  as  a  result  several  persons 
were  frozen  to  the  point  of  being  in  danger  of  death. 
From  the  same  cause  six  saddle  animals  were  left 
by  the  wayside  and  four  others  died.  In  attending 
to  his  division,  providing  fire  for  them,  and  in  other 
services  for  their  relief,  this  officer  so  exposed  him- 
self that  he  contracted  very  severe  pains  in  his  ears, 
and  although  these  have  been  cured,  the  weather  is 
so  bad  that  he  has  been  left  totally  deaf  in  both  ears. 
Today  two  more  of  our  cattle  have  died  as  a  result 
of  injury  and  cold. 

In  the  midst  of  these  misfortunes  which  have 
been  caused  us  by  the  snowstorm,  with  the  loss  of 
the  animals  which  have  died,  it  almost  seems  to  have 
been  designed  for  the  benefit  of  the  health  of  our 
people,  for  whereas  nine  days  ago  we  counted  more 
than  fifteen  invalids,  three  of  them  dangerously  ill, 
today  there  are  less  than  five  of  the  first  class  and 
none  of  the  second.  Their  sudden  recovery,  which 
we  have  not  hitherto  experienced  since  we  began  the 
march,  is  attributed  partly  to  the  many  watermelons 
which  were  eaten  at  the  lake  of  Santa  Olaya. 

The  details  concerning  this  site  and  the  people 
who  inhabit  it  I  set  forth  in  my  former  diary,  and 


ANZA'S  DIARY  61 

since  I  have  nothing  to  add  to  what  I  have  already 
said  there,  I  will  only  note  that  the  misery  in- 
separable from  all  Indians  abounds  in  these  more 
than  we  have  witnessed  anywhere  before  reaching 
this  place,  but  we  shall  be  able  to  equal  it  with  those 
from  hereforward,  of  whose  shortcomings  likewise 
I  gave  an  account  in  my  diary  cited.  I  also  noted 
therein  what  happened  to  us  then  from  the  pas- 
turage, which  made  our  saddle  animals  useless  be- 
cause it  purged  them  so.  During  the  days  that  we 
have  been  here  this  time  this  trouble  has  not  been 
experienced,  and  we  attribute  this  to  the  fact  that 
with  the  present  rain  and  snow  the  saltiness  of  its 
leaves  has  decreased.  This  notice  may  be  helpful 
as  a  means  of  removing  fear  of  trouble  at  such  a 
season  as  this.^ 

Monday,  December  18. — Notwithstanding  the 
care  which  we  have  tried  to  observe  with  the  cattle, 
it  has  not  been  possible  to  keep  down  the  mortality 
both  from  the  cold  and  from  injuries.  This  morning 
two  of  them  were  found  dead  and  five  others  it  is 
thought  will  not  be  able  to  go  forward  from  this 
place.  We  have  made  such  use  of  them  as  has  been 
possible,  making  of  them  jerked  beef  and  salting  it 
well,  but  even  so  it  is  unpalatable  because  of  its 
scent,  color,  and  taste. 

At  half  past  one  in  the  afternoon  we  raised  our 
camp  in  order  to  set  out  and  shorten  the  next 
journey.  Going  west,  with  some  turns  to  the  west- 
northwest,   over  level  country,  we  traveled  about 

1  See  Anza's  diary  of  his  first  expedition,  entry  for  March  11. 


62       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

three  and  a  half  leagues  in  as  many  hours,  until  we 
came  to  the  first  pasturage  and  firewood  that  was 
found  in  a  wide  valley,  where  a  halt  was  made  for 
the  night.^  All  the  sierras  which  we  have  seen  today 
in  all  directions  have  appeared  covered  with  snow 
except  those  along  the  line  of  our  route.  Today's 
march  has  been  made  with  some  comfort,  because 
the  weather  has  been  quiet  and  the  sun  shining,  this 
last  being  a  blessing  which  we  have  not  enjoyed  for 
the  last  six  days.  After  nightfall  the  cattle  arrived 
at  our  camp,  having  been  made  to  march  since  ten 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  in  order  that  they  might 
make  some  stops,  but  this  precaution  has  not  been 
sufficient  to  prevent  the  loss  of  five  head  from  weari- 
ness and  injuries. — 34.  From  Tubac  to  Los  Puerte- 
citos,  148  leagues. 

Tuesday,  December  19. — At  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning  we  raised  our  train  and  began  the  march 
toward  the  west,  with  repeated  turns  to  the  west- 
northwest,  over  sandy  country  with  bad  footing.  In 
this  direction  we  traveled  four  leagues  in  a  little 
more  than  four  hours,  and  at  the  end  of  this  time 

1  Camp  was  east  of  the  entrance  to  Borrego  Valley.  Anza's 
name,  Los  Puertecitos  (Little  Pass),  alludes  to  the  gap  in  the  hills 
through  which  he  entered  the  valley  the  next  day.  Anza  gives  the 
march  as  three  and  one-half  leagues  west-northwest.  Font  gives  it 
as  four  leagues  west  by  north,  over  level,  sandy,  but  firm  soil,  except 
that  when  first  leaving  San  Sebastian  there  were  some  barrancas  and 
mires.  At  two  leagues  they  passed  an  abandoned  village  site,  evi- 
dently Anza's  former  camp.  The  road  ran  to  the  right  of  the  clay 
hills  seen  to  the  southwest.  Camp  was  in  a  flat  where  there  was 
galleta  grass,  and  the  ground  was  white  with  a  saline  deposit. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  63 

we  came  to  the  site  of  San  Gregorio/  This  watering 
place  appeared  at  first  to  have  enough  water  for  our 
saddle  animals,  but  within  two  hours  after  we  had 
halted  we  were  left  without  any,  and  nearly  half  of 
the  animals  were  still  to  be  watered,  notwithstand- 
ing that  for  greater  economy  we  had  led  the  first 
ones  by  the  halters  to  drink.  Being  informed  of  this 
lack  I  went  personally  to  have  some  wells  opened, 
which  was  done  in  various  places,  digging  them  to 
the  depth  of  more  than  an  estado.^  In  all  of  them 
water  was  found,  but  it  flowed  so  slowly  that  we  con- 
cluded that  we  should  not  be  able  to  achieve  our 
purpose  during  the  whole  night,  which  in  fact  proved 
to  be  the  case. 

After  nightfall  the  cattle  arrived,  and  although 
they  had  taken  all  day  to  accomplish  the  journey, 
this  was  not  sufficient  to  prevent  the  loss  of  four 
head.  The  same  thing  happened  with  three  mounts, 
for  these  animals,  like  the  rest,  have  become  so 
scrawny  and  lean  that  they  have  no  resemblance  to 
those  which  started  on  the  journey,  especially  those 
not  accustomed  to  the  cold,  which  is  true  of  many 
of  them.    But  of  the  few  which  come  from  the  pre- 

1  Camp  was  in  the  San  Felipe  Wash.  Anza  gives  the  march  as 
four  leagues  west  and  north-northwest,  and  Font  as  five  leagues  west 
by  north.  The  march  took  them  over  the  clay  hills  in  front  of 
Borrego  Valley  then  northwest  around  the  north  side  of  the  two 
red  hills  that  stand  near  the  entrance  to  the  valley.  Below  camp 
the  horses  drank  from  a  bitter  and  harmful  well  or  spring  which 
was  found.     (Font.) 

2  An  estado  is  the  height  of  a  man. 


64       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

sidios,  notwithstanding  that  they  are  the  ones  which 
have  done  double  work,  not  one  has  been  lost.  On 
leaving  this  place  we  begin  the  crossing  of  the  range 
which  runs  from  the  Peninsula  of  California,  which 
gives  the  appearance  of  having  fair  openings  through 
which  to  go  out  to  the  port  and  mission  of  San  Diego, 
not  only  from  here  but  even  from  below  Santa  Eosa 
de  las  Lajas. — 35.  From  Tubac  to  San  Gregorio, 
152  leagues. 

Wednesday,  December  20. — This  morning  it  was 
so  frigid  and  the  night  before  was  so  extremely  cold 
that  three  saddle  animals  and  five  head  of  cattle 
were  frozen  to  death,  and  the  weather  was  so  hard 
on  our  people  that  almost  none  of  them  slept,  for 
they  spent  the  night  occupied  in  feeding  the  fires 
in  order  to  withstand  it.  At  seven  o'clock  I  was 
informed  that  for  the  reasons  given,  and  on  account 
of  the  thirst  which  the  cattle  of  necessity  felt,  many 
of  them  had  escaped  in  the  darkness  of  the  night 
from  the  men  who  were  watching  them.  I  therefore 
ordered  three  soldiers  to  go  with  a  sergeant  and  a 
vaquero  to  look  for  them,  and  that  the  rest  should 
proceed  on  the  next  journey,  for,  because  of  the  lack 
of  water  indicated,  it  is  not  possible  to  remain  here 
with  all  of  our  expedition. 

Moving  our  train,  at  nine  o  'clock  we  set  forth  on 
the  march  toward  the  west-northwest,  following  the 
valley  of  Santa  Catharina,  which  begins  at  San 
Sebastian  and  in  great  part  cuts  the  mountain  chain 
previously  mentioned.     Having  traveled  along  the 


1    UTii 


ON  MARCH  16.1774,  JUAN  BAUTISTA  de  ANZA,  INDIAN 
fIGHTER.EXPLORER.AND  COLONIZER,LED  THROUGH  THIS      h 
PASS  C  NAMED  BY  HIM  SAN  CARLOS)  THE  FIRST  WHITE 
EXPLORERS  TOCftOSS  THEMOUNTAINS  INTO  CALlfORNIA. 
THE  PARTY  TRA\fl5LED  FROM  TUBAC.ARIZONA.TO  MONTEREY. 


EXPEDITION  INTO%JAlilFORNIA,ANZA  LED  THROUGH  THIS 
PASSipfifittTYlOF^PAmARDSWROM  SONORA  WHO 

MCISCO.  ! 


y^ 


Monument  niaiking  San  Carlos  Pass. 


Photc 


1)V  KlK 


iiul 


ANZA'S  DIARY  65 

valley  four  leagues,  three  of  them  having  some  sand 
dunes,  at  the  end  of  this  distance  we  halted  in  the 
same  valley  where  plentiful  running  water  as  well 
as  some  pasturage  was  found,  both  to  wait  for  the 
cattle  at  a  nearer  place  and  because  many  of  the 
horses  of  the  people  who  were  mounted  were  about 
to  give  out  because  they  were  so  lean. 

On  arriving  at  this  place,  which  we  called  El 
Vado,^  we  saw  five  of  the  heathen  living  here,  but 
as  soon  as  they  caught  sight  of  us  they  began  to 
flee,  leaving  behind  the  vessels  in  which  they  were 
gathering  seeds.  In  order  that  they  might  not  be 
afraid  I  sent  one  soldier  after  them  to  bring  them  to 
the  camp,  so  that  I  might  give  them  presents.  Hav- 
ing overtaken  them  he  had  them  come  a  little  nearer, 
but  when  they  saw  our  men  closer  up  they  again 
fled.  Seeing  this  I  gave  orders  that  they  should  not 
be  pursued,  lest  they  might  consider  it  an  act  of  vio- 
lence. Their  vessels,  a  bow,  and  three  of  their 
blankets  of  jack  rabbit  skin  which  they  left  behind, 
as  I  have  said,  I  caused  to  be  gathered  up  and  placed 
where  they  could  find  them. 

At  seven  o'clock  at  night  the  cattle  which  had  set 
out  ahead  of  us  from  San  Gregorio  arrived  at  the 
camp,  eleven  of  them  having  died  because  they  were 
completely  worn-out.  For  the  same  reason  five  sad- 
dle animals  were  left  at  a  watering  place  less  than 
a  league  from  where  we  were  halted,  with  the  inten- 

1  Camp  was  on  Coyote  Creek,  in  Coyote  Canyon,  above  Beatty  's 
Ranch  house.  Anza  gives  the  march  as  four  leagues  west-northwest. 
The  direction  is  in  reality  about  northwest.   El  Vado  means  The  Ford. 


66      THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

tion  of  sending  in  the  morning  to  see  if  they  were 
able  to  come  forward. — 36.  From  Tubac  to  the  be- 
ginning of  the  water  of  Santa  Catharina,  156  leagues. 

Thursday,  December  21. — The  cattle  and  the  men 
who  were  to  conduct  them  not  having  appeared  by 
daylight,  at  that  hour  I  sent  for  them  two  soldiers 
with  saddle  animals,  in  order  that  all  might  have 
new  mounts,  giving  orders  that  the  cattle  should  be 
hurried  as  little  as  possible  so  as  to  prevent  losses 
among  them.  At  the  same  time  I  sent  for  the  mounts 
which  remained  behind  yesterday,  but  at  ten  o'clock 
they  returned  with  only  one  because  three  had  died, 
as  had  also  the  cattle  which  had  remained  behind  on 
the  same  day. 

Friday,  December  22. — ^We  remained  in  this 
place  because  the  sergeant  and  the  cattle  which  he 
was  to  bring  did  not  put  in  an  appearance  during 
the  whole  day.  At  half  past  four  in  the  afternoon 
the  sergeant  arrived  with  the  distressing  news  that 
all  the  cattle,  which  he  was  not  able  to  overtake  until 
he  reached  the  Marsh  of  San  Sebastian,  he  found 
dead  in  the  mires  of  that  watering  place,  because 
they  did  not  go  to  it  by  way  of  the  trail  which  had 
freed  them  from  the  mires  when  we  drove  them. 
This  loss  comprised  about  fifty  head  of  cattle.  Those 
which  were  prevented  from  reaching  the  marshes 
already  mentioned,  and  others  which  they  found 
alive  in  them  and  were  able  to  rescue,  he  brought 
to  San  Gregorio,  where  he  gave  them  some  water, 
because  we  had  cleaned  the  wells  during  the  time 
when  we  were  there. 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  67 

The  foregoing  loss  cannot  be  charged  to  want  of 
attention  or  care.  This  is  proved  by  the  lack  of  any 
such  loss  previous  to  this  fatal  event,  and  although 
other  cattle  have  played  out  for  causes  already  men- 
tioned and  unavoidable  in  so  long  a  march,  yet  they 
have  been  brought  with  the  greatest  care  possible, 
even  to  the  extent  that  they  have  not  been  abandoned 
until  they  have  died  of  inability  to  move.  With  this 
in  view,  at  the  time  when  I  began  the  journey  I 
provided  seven  men  to  devote  themselves  solely  to 
caring  for  the  cattle,  watching  and  striving  for 
their  best  management.  In  the  journeys  which  have 
been  made  they  have  been  left  behind  or  sent  ahead 
according  to  circumstances.  And  finally,  no  effort 
whatever  has  been  spared  to  prevent  any  kind  of 
misfortune,  although  in  spite  of  this  I  have  had  the 
disaster  here  set  forth,  which  has  been  to  me  as 
distressing  as  it  is  irreparable. 

This  afternoon  four  heathen,  so  lean  and  emaci- 
ated that  they  looked  more  like  skeletons  from  the 
grave  than  living  beings,  came  to  our  camp. 
Although  they  came  full  of  perturbation,  I  made 
efforts  to  quiet  them  with  hospitality  and  the  accus- 
tomed presents,  giving  them  food  to  eat  and  de- 
livering to  them  the  property  which  their  women 
had  abandoned.  They  appreciated  this  greatly  and 
withdrew,  carrying  part  of  the  things  with  them. 
A  short  time  afterward  six  men  not  quite  so  badly 
off  came  and  finished  carrying  away  the  things 
which  had  been  left  at  our  camp,  confident  that  we 
would  not  injure  them,  since  no  injury  had  been 


68       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

suffered  by  the  first  ones,  who  were  weak  and  use- 
less, these  being  among  all  classes  of  Indians  the 
ones  risked  in  such  cases  to  come  to  reconnoiter  our 
people. 

All  this  day  it  has  been  threatening  to  rain,  and 
it  actually  began  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  although 
not  very  heavily.  We  thought  that  in  the  sierra 
nearest  to  us  it  was  snow  which  was  falling. 

Saturday,  December  23. — At  daylight  it  was 
raining,  but  as  it  had  stopped  at  nine  o'clock  I  gave 
orders  to  march,  and  we  set  forth  at  half  past 
twelve,  going  northwest  and  west-northwest,  in  which 
direction  runs  the  valley  which  we  were  now  ascend- 
ing, and  up  which  we  traveled  a  league  and  a  half 
in  an  hour  and  three-quarters.  At  the  end  of  this 
time  we  halted  at  the  site  of  Santa  Catharina,^  being 
forced  to  do  so  by  the  weather,  for  it  had  been  rain- 
ing from  the  time  when  we  mounted  our  horses  until 
we  arrived  here.  In  this  place  we  found  a  village 
of  about  forty  heathen  people.  Onl}^  a  few  of  them 
wished  to  come  to  see  us,  and  for  that  reason  only 
these  few  were  given  presents.  After  nightfall  it 
rained  more  heavily. — 37.  From  Tubac  to  the  spring 
of  Santa  Catharina,  157^/2  leagues. 

1  Camp  was  at  Reed 's  Springs,  or  Lower  Willows,  a  beautiful 
fountain  in  Coyote  Canyon,  three  or  four  miles  above  Beatty's 
Ranch.  Anza  gives  the  distance  as  a  league  and  a  half,  and  Font  as 
a  long  league.  Font  calls  the  camp  Pie  del  Sauce  (Foot  of  the  Wil- 
low), ^'on  whose  trunk  Father  Garces  wrote''  of  the  attempt  of  the 
Mountain  Indians  to  wound  the  animals  during  the  last  expedition. 
There  are  large  willows  there  now,  but  I  looked  in  vain  for  Garces 's 
carving. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  69 

Sunday,  December  24. — Although  it  continued  to 
rain  until  nearly  daylight  and  the  signs  of  rain  con- 
tinued, I  decided  to  leave  this  place  and  did  so  at 
half  past  nine,  continuing  along  the  valley  to  the 
northwest  with  some  turns  to  the  west-northwest, 
through  the  stoniest  country/  Having  traveled  in 
this  direction  three  leagues  in  as  many  hours,  we 
halted  at  the  villages  of  the  people  who  on  our  last 
journey  we  called  Los  Danzantes,^  the  stop  being 
made  necessary  because  a  woman  was  taken  with 
childbirth  pains. 

Although  from  seven  o^clock  in  the  morning  until 
two  in  the  afternoon  it  had  been  cloudy,  with  a  fog 
so  dense  that  one  could  hardly  see  anything  twelve 
yards  away,  several  heathen  as  timid  as  the  fore- 
going allowed  themselves  to  be  seen  by  us  on  the 
march.  In  the  place  where  we  now  are  they  have 
conducted  themselves  in  the  same  way,  although  all 
are  unarmed.  At  a  quarter  to  eleven  in  the  night 
our  patient  was  successfully  delivered  of  a  boy, 
which  makes  three  who  have  been  delivered  between 

1  It  was  along  here  that  the  Indians  had  been  most  hostile  before. 

2  Los  Danzantes  were  at  Upper  Willows  or  Fig  Tree  Spring.  The 
march  was  up  Coyote  Canyon.  On  setting  out  they  passed  through 
the  widening  called  Collins  Valley.  Anza  gives  the  distance  as  three 
leagues.  Font  adds  that  the  march  was  four  leagues;  that  half  way 
they  passed  a  fair-sized  spring  (Middle  Willows) ;  and  that  they 
halted  near  another  spring.  This  was  Upper  Willows  or  Fig  Tree 
Spring.  On  the  way  up  the  Valley  they  saw  Indians  skulking  among 
the  rocks.  Near  the  spring  there  was  a  village  whose  houses  were 
some  half  subterranean  grottoes  among  the  rocks  and  partly  covered 
with  brush  and  earth  like  rabbit  warrens.  These  grottoes,  with  walls 
and  roofs  blackened  with  smoke,  are  still  to  be  seen  beside  the  trail. 


70       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

the  presidio  of  Tubac  and  this  place,  besides  two 
others  who  have  miscarried.  These  and  three  others 
who  miscarried  on  the  way  to  San  Miguel  de  Horca- 
sitas  make  a  total  of  eight,  all  enroute,  with  no  other 
death  than  that  of  one  woman/ — 38.  From  Tubac  to 
the  villages  of  Los  Danzantes,  I6OV2  leagues. 

Monday,  December  25. — Because  of  the  occur- 
rence of  last  night  already  mentioned  it  was  not 
possible  to  march.  Today  it  has  been  as  wet  as 
yesterday,  the  land  where  we  are  being  extremely  so 
because  it  has  rained  so  much  here,  but  the  patient 
has  not  experienced  any  bad  results  from  it. 

There  not  being  in  this  place  enough  water  for 
our  cattle,  although  there  is  enough  for  the  people, 
they  went  to  drink  at  a  place  about  a  league  from 
here  where  they  drank  yesterday  in  passing,  for 
fear  that  what  has  happened  to  us  would  happen  to 
them.  After  they  had  done  this,  running  water  in 
abundance  was  found  a  quarter  of  a  league  away  to 
the  southwest-  of  our  camp  and  of  the  road  which  we 
are  following,  with  an  abundance  of  pasturage  and 
firewood,  which  we  now  know  about  for  another 
occasion. 

Tuesday,  December  26. — Today  having  dawned 
fair,  at  the  regular  hour  the  sun  came  out  bright. 
For  this  reason  and  because  the  mother  was  better 
and  had  the  pluck  to  march,  we  prepared  to  break 
camp,  and  at  a  quarter  to  nine  set  forth,  ascending 
the  valley  which  has  been  mentioned,  going  west- 

1  The  one  who  died  at  La  Canoa.     See  p.  7. 

2  By  a  slip  the  MS.  reads  southeast. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  71 

northwest.  Having  traveled  along  the  valley  for 
about  three-quarters  of  a  league,  at  a  place  where  it 
narrowed  greatly  we  left  it  at  our  left  and  immedi- 
ately climbed  a  small  ridge.  This  was  followed  by 
two  other  smaller  ones,  by  which  we  arrived  at  the 
pass  or  opening  of  San  Carlos,^  having  traveled  in 
all  only  about  two  and  a  half  leagues  in  four  hours, 
because  of  the  stops  which  it  was  necessary  to  make. 
Here  we  halted  for  the  night  because  it  has  been 
raining  ever  since  nine  o  'clock,  although  very  lightly, 
since  this  rain,  if  it  should  become  harder,  might 
injure  the  woman  who  was  delivered  night  before 
last,  and  since  the  march  although  short  has  been  for 
the  most  part  up  and  down.  With  this  march  the 
sierra  or  cordillera  which  runs  to  and  ends  at  Baja 
California  is  now  overcome  or  passed.  Rain  con- 
tinued until  half  past  four  in  the  afternoon.  After  it 

1  Puerto  de  San  Carlos  was  the  pass  at  Fred  Clark 's  corral,  at  the 
east  end  of  Cahuilla  Valley.  Above  the  Upper  Willows  some  three  or 
four  miles  the  canyon  forks,  with  Horse  Canyon  on  the  right  (ascend- 
ing), Nance  Canyon  in  the  middle,  and  the  main  canyon  (Tule)  at 
the  left.  Passing  the  mouth  of  Horse  Canyon,  Anza  climbed  the 
ridge  between  Nance  and  Tule  and  camped  at  the  fine  springs  in  the 
flat  just  before  reaching  Fred  Clark  *s  corral.  The  flat  is  in  Nance 
Canyon  where  it  swings  around  to  the  trail  again.  Anza  gives  the 
distance  as  two  and  one-half  leagues,  and  Font  as  three  leagues, 
which  is  more  nearly  correct.  Font's  description  of  the  route  is  excel- 
lent: The  road  follows  the  principal  arroyo  of  the  dry  canyon, 
which  gets  much  narrower  until  the  foot  of  the  ridge  is  reached, 
which  now  has  some  rather  bad  spots.  The  ridge  is  divided  into  two 
stretches;  the  first  is  rather  bad  and  long,  the  second  less  so,  and 
between  the  two  there  is  a  fairly  level  stretch.  From  the  highest 
point  one  descends  a  rather  narrow,  dry  arroyo,  and  on  reaching  some 
large  round  rocks  one  descends  a  gentle  and  short  slope  to  the  flat 
where  camp  was  made.  The  two  ridges  and  the  arroyo  are  clearly 
recognized  by  one  following  the  trail  today,  and  the  large  round  rocks 
are  still  plainly  to  be  seen.     A  superb  diarist  was  Font. 


72       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

began  to  get  dark  a  heavy,  distant  thunder  was 
heard,  and  this  was  followed  by  an  earthquake  which 
lasted  four  minutes. — 39.  From  Tubac  to  the  Puerto 
de  San  Carlos,  163  leagues. 

Wednesday,  December  27. — Raising  our  train, 
at  a  quarter  to  ten  we  set  forth  on  the  march  to  the 
west-northwest,  and,  immediately  mounting  a  very 
narrow,  rocky  ridge,^  we  came  out  to  level  country 
with  an  abundance  of  the  best  pasturage,  trees,  and 
grass  that  we  have  seen  thus  far.  Over  this  country 
we  continued  for  two  and  a  half  leagues  until  we 
passed  the  Laguna  del  Principe,  and  having  traveled 
beyond  it  two  and  a  half  leagues,  we  halted  for  the 
night  at  the  site  of  San  Patricio.  This  last  stretch 
of  country  has  been  very  miry.  Because  it  froze 
heavily  last  night  one  horse  and  two  cattle  died. — 
40.    From  Tubac  to  San  Patricio,  168  leagues. 

I  have  always  desired,  and  up  to  recently  I  have 
hoped  that  I  should  be  able  to  go  straight  from  this 
vicinity  to  the  presidio  of  Monte  Rey  or  to  the  mis- 
sions near  there.^    But  since  our  cattle  are  now  use- 

1  This  is  the  rocky  ridge  at  Fred  Clark 's  corral,  through  which 
the  Puerto  de  San  Carlos  opens  into  Cahuilla  Valley.  Laguna  del 
Principe  is  now  Dry  Lake,  some  six  or  seven  miles  northwest  of  the 
pass,  on  Contreras's  ranch.  San  Patricio  was  at  the  head  of  Bautista 
Canyon,  at  the  northwestern  extremity  of  Cahuilla  Valley.  Eldredge 
makes  the  mistake  of  thinking  that  Anza  turned  aside  into  Horse 
Canyon,  crossed  Vandeventer  Flat,  and  entered  Hemet  Valley  instead 
of  Cahuilla  Valley. 

2  Anza  means  here  that  he  had  hoped  to  go  directly  to  Monterey 
without  touching  at  San  Grabriel.  One  reason  may  have  been  his 
ambition  to  discover  a  new  route,  for  from  San  Gabriel  he  was  on 
Portola's  trail.  He  apparently  hoped  to  follow  Pages 's  trail  through 
the  San  Bernardino  range,  to  Antelope  Valley,  San  Joaquin  Valley, 
and  San  Luis  Obispo. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  73 

less  and  because  of  the  difficulty  of  that  journey,  and 
knowing  that  it  would  cause  the  loss  of  all,  especially 
of  the  cattle,  I  have  been  forced  to  give  up  this  plan, 
in  order  to  prevent  such  a  disaster.  Indeed,  to  have 
done  otherwise  would  have  meant  the  certain  loss 
of  a  great  part  of  our  saddle  animals.  And  since  the 
missions  on  the  way  can  cooperate  for  our  relief,  I 
have  sent  forward  to  them  by  three  soldiers  a  report 
as  to  the  time  when  I  shall  reach  there  and  one  also 
to  the  commander,  Don  Fernando  Rivera  y  Mon- 
cada,  so  that  he  may  arrange  to  have  the  necessary 
provisions  at  the  missions,  adjusting  them  to  those 
which  I  tell  him  I  am  carrying.  Likewise,  I  am  tell- 
ing this  commander  to  advise  me  and  order  what- 
ever may  be  best,  or  he  may  think  best,  to  promote 
my  arrival  at  his  presidio  and  to  expedite  our  jour- 
ney to  explore  the  Rio  de  San  Francisco,  in  coopera- 
tion with  the  commander  of  the  packet  boat  which 
ought  to  accompany  us  in  case  it  is  there.  And  I 
am  requesting  that  in  order  that  this  may  not  be 
prevented  by  my  delay  he  shall  tell  me  beforehand 
whatever  will  best  contribute  to  the  desired  end. 

All  the  sierras  which  we  have  seen  today  in  the 
direction  of  the  South  Sea,  which  in  the  main  are 
independent  of  the  cordillera  of  Baja  California, 
are  so  snow-covered  that  scarcely  any  trees  can  be 
seen  on  the  summits.  This  sight  has  been  terrify- 
ing to  most  of  the  people  of  our  expedition  who, 
since  they  were  born  in  the  Tierra  Caliente,^  have 
never  seen  such  a  thing  before.    As  a  result  they 

1  The  Hot  Country. 


74       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

have  become  so  melancholy  that  some  of  the  women 
had  to  weep.  Through  their  tears  they  managed  to 
say,  **If  so  many  animals  died  of  cold  and  the  people 
nearly  died  in  places  where  there  was  less  snow,  how 
will  it  be  in  the  place  where  we  see  so  much  of  it  T ' 
I  checked  these  complaints  by  various  counsels,  tell- 
ing them  that  the  cold  would  be  moderated  when  we 
got  to  the  seacoast  and  its  missions,  as  had  already 
been  experienced.  And  so,  since  the  coast  where 
they  were  born  is  hot,  they  have  concluded  that  it 
will  be  the  same  here,  and  that  in  the  missions  there 
will  be  a  remedy  for  troubles  which  may  arise. 

Thursday,  December  28. — In  addition  to  the  cold 
and  the  extreme  wetness  of  the  ground,  in  the  night 
the  woman  who  was  delivered  four  days  ago  was 
taken  with  severe  pains,  with  signs  of  a  hard  spasm, 
and  as  she  was  this  way  in  the  morning  it  was  not 
possible  to  travel  today.  At  two  in  the  afternoon  I 
sent  the  cattle  and  the  worn-out  horses  to  pass  the 
night  two  leagues  from  this  place  in  order  that  they 
may  make  the  next  journey  with  greater  ease. 

Friday,  December  29. — The  patient  having  ex- 
perienced some  alleviation  during  the  night  and 
yesterday,  we  were  able  to  set  forth.  At  half  past 
nine  we  began  the  march  down  the  valley  of  San 
Patricio,  which  runs  west  and  west-northwest  in  the 
main  to  join  the  river  of  Senor  San  Joseph  on  the 
north.  Having  traveled  six  leagues  in  these  direc- 
tions in  the  course  of  seven  hours,  we  arrived  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  at  the  river  named,  where 
a  halt  was  made  for  the  night.  In  the  march  which 
we  have  made  today  we  have  found  the  valley  so  full 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  75 

of  running  water  that  we  have  crossed  it  about  two 
hundred  times.  Notwithstanding  that  day  before 
yesterday  I  sent  all  the  incapacitated  saddle  animals 
forward  in  order  that  they  might  divide  the  journey, 
this  did  not  prevent  us  from  losing  two  in  spite  of 
all  the  efforts  which  were  made.  On  reaching  this 
place  eight  heathen  appeared  in  sight  about  a  gun- 
shot away,  but,  because  of  their  nature,  they  did  not 
wish  to  come  any  closer,  and  they  retired  to  the 
sierra  as  soon  as  they  saw  our  people  pass.^ — 41. 
From  Tubac  to  the  valley  of  San  Joseph,  174  leagues. 

Saturday,  December  30. — Raising  our  train,  at  a 
quarter  past  nine  we  set  forth  on  the  march  toward 
the  west-northwest.  We  descended  the  spacious  and 
beautiful  valley  of  San  Joseph  until  we  came  to  the 
lake  of  San  Antonio  Bucareli  and,  having  traveled 
to  reach  it  a  little  more  than  four  leagues  in  the 
same  number  of  hours,  a  halt  was  made  here  for  the 
night.^ — 42.  From  Tubac  to  Laguna  de  San  Antonio 
de  Bucareli,  178  leagues. 

Sunday,  December  31. — Having  raised  our  camp, 
at  nine  o'clock  we  continued  our  march,  going  a 

1  The  march  was  down  Canada  de  San  Patricio  (Bautista  Can- 
yon) to  Valle  de  San  Joseph  (San  Jacinto  Valley),  and  north  past 
Vallevista.  Crossing  the  valley,  Anza  pitched  camp  on  the  San 
Jacinto  Eiver,  above  San  Jacinto.  Anza  gives  the  distance  as  six 
leagues  and  Font  as  seven  long  leagues.  An  automobile  road  has 
recently  been  opened  from  Hemet  up  Bautista  Canyon,  close  along 
Anza's  trail.  Font  calls  the  Indians  near  camp  the  Jeniguechis.  The 
valley  above  camp  he  calls  Canada  del  Paraiso  (Paradise  Valley). 

2  Lake  San  Antonio  de  Bucareli  was  San  Jacinto  Lake,  which  was 
drained  a  few  years  ago.  Anza  gives  the  distance  as  a  little  more 
than  four  leagues.  Font  says  they  traveled  five  leagues  and  halted  in 
the  Valle  de  San  Joseph  at  the  foot  of  a  hill.  The  march  was  south 
of  the  river,  and  camp  was  at  the  turn  of  Mt.  Eudolph. 


76       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

league  to  the  west  to  turn  some  hills;  then,  leaving 
these  on  our  right,  we  went  west-northwest,  in  which 
direction  Ave  made  six  more  leagues  in  seven  and  a 
half  hours,  until  we  came  to  the  river  of  Senora 
Santa  Anna,  where  we  halted  for  the  night.  The 
making  of  this  journey  at  one  stretch  has  been  neces- 
sary for  the  lack  of  firewood,  of  which  there  is  none 
after  leaving  the  river  of  Seiior  San  Joseph,  whence 
we  brought  wood  to  San  Antonio,  for  without  fire- 
wood in  a  season  so  cold  and  wet  as  the  present  it  is 
not  possible  to  exist,  and  especially  under  the  extra- 
ordinary circumstances  of  our  march.  Indeed  our 
cattle,  because  most  of  them  are  lame  and  tired  and 
are  driven  separately,  did  not  reach  this  site  until 
midnight,  arriving  minus  one  cow  and  two  horses, 
which  fell  down  completely  exhausted  and  could  not 
be  raised.^ — 43.  From  Tubac  to  the  Santa  Anna 
Eiver,  185  leagues. 

1  The  hill  around  which  Anza  swung  on  leaving  camp  was  Mt. 
Eudolph.  Anza  gives  the  distance  to  the  Santa  Ana  River  as  one 
league  west  and  six  west-northwest.  Font  gives  it  as  eight  west- 
northwest  with  short  turns  to  the  west.  He  tells  us  that  on  leaving 
camp  they  left  the  old  trail  to  avoid  a  detour  and  some  bad  places, 
and  by  a  little  pass  crossed  the  hills  which  here  close  the  Valle  de 
San  Joseph,  went  a  league  over  level  country,  then  three  across  a 
valley  that  communicated  with  the  Valle  de  San  Joseph;  then  they 
came  to  some  hills,  ascended  an  easy  pass,  and  for  a  league  descended 
a  narrow  canyon  which  widened  out  to  the  Valle  de  Santa  Ana,  then 
three  leagues  across  the  valley  to  the  river.  From  the  two  diaries 
and  personal  exploration  I  conclude  that  Anza  on  leaving  camp  went 
past  Lakeview  and  through  the  hills  by  Bernasconi  Pass.  Then  cross- 
ing La  Vina  Valley  and  March  Field,  he  ascended  the  ridge  south  of 
Box  Spring  Canyon,  and  descended  the  slope  by  Sycamore  Canyon. 
Then,  crossing  the  valley  he  reached  the  Santa  Ana  River  below  Mt. 
Rubidoux  and  camped  near  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  bridge. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  77 

January  1,  1776. — Having  gone  to  explore  this 
river  of  Santa  Anna  in  addition  to  what  was  done 
yesterday,  it  was  found  to  be  almost  unfordable  for 
the  people,  not  so  much  because  of  its  depth  as  of 
the  rapidity  of  its  current,  which  upsets  most  of  the 
saddle  animals.  For  this  reason  it  was  necessary  to 
reinforce  the  bridge  which  I  made  during  the  last 
journey,  and  also  to  open  a  road  in  order  that  our 
cattle  might  enter  to  cross  it.  These  tasks  could  not 
be  completed  until  after  twelve  o'clock,  at  which 
time  the  women  were  taken  over  first,  next  all  the 
perishable  things,  and  then  the  rest  of  the  cargo  and 
our  stock,  of  which  a  horse  and  a  cow  were  drowned 
because  they  did  not  have  strength  enough  to  with- 
stand the  force  of  the  current.  For  the  reasons  set 
forth,  and  the  fact  that  there  was  no  firewood  until 
the  end  of  the  next  journey,  it  was  not  possible  to 
set  out  with  all  the  expedition,  which  finished  cross- 
ing the  river  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
Nevertheless,  at  this  time  I  sent  the  cattle  and  the 
tired  saddle  animals  forward  so  that  they  might 
divide  the  march. 

At  this  same  time,  the  crossing  having  been  com- 
pleted, arrived  the  three  soldiers  whom  I  sent  to  the 
mission  of  San  Gabriel  on  the  27th  of  last  month  for 
the  purpose  there  mentioned.  From  the  mission  the 
father  ministers  sent  me  seventeen  saddle  animals. 
The  corporal  who  has  the  mission  under  his  com- 
mand gives  me  the  sad  news  that  a  few  days  ago 
the  heathen  and  the  reduced  Indians  of  the  mission 
of  San  Diego,  together  with  those  farther  inland. 


78       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

attacked  that  mission,  killed  one  of  the  missionary 
fathers  and  two  servants,  wounded  all  the  few  sol- 
diers of  the  guard,  and  burned  the  small  buildings 
of  the  pueblo/  He  says  that  he  has  heard  that  the 
Indians  of  the  neighborhood  of  the  mission  in  his 
command  are  assembling  to  attack  it  also,  and  that 
for  these  reasons  he  has  not  carried  out  my  order 
to  forward  the  message  which  I  sent  to  his  com- 
mander, Don  Fernando  Rivera  y  Moncada,  whom 
he  is  awaiting  in  order  that  he  may  take  measures 
regarding  the  present  occurrences,  since  he  sent  him 
a  report  of  them  about  a  month  ago. 

Tuesday,  January  2. — At  half  past  eight  we  set 
forth  on  the  march  toward  the  west-northwest  over 
level  country  with  good  pasturage  and  fair  weather, 
which  continued  until  nearly  ten  o'clock,  when  it 
began  to  rain  lightly.  Soon  the  storm  became  so 
heavy  that  most  of  our  people  got  very  wet,  but 
since  there  was  no  firewood  the  march  was  continued 
until,  after  making  six  leagues  in  as  many  hours,  we 
arrived  at  Arroyo  de  los  Alisos.^  A  short  time  after 
we  began  our  march  I  sent  two  soldiers  to  the  mis- 
sion of  San  Gabriel  to  report  that  I  would  arrive 
there  next  day  if  there  was  no  bad  luck,  and  with 

1  The  story  of  the  uprising  at  San  Diego  is  told  in  detail  by  Font. 

2  Arroyo  de  los  Alisos  was  San  Antonio  Creek,  and  camp  was 
near  Ontario.  Anza  and  Font  both  give  the  march  as  six  leagues 
west -northwest ;  Font  says  the  road  was  all  level  except  on  leaving 
the  Santa  Ana  River,  when  they  crossed  some  long,  gentle  sloping 
hills.  The  crossing  was  near  the  Southern  Pacific  Eailroad  bridge, 
and  the  hills  passed  were  Jurupa  Hills,  near  Pedley.  At  camp  Font 
mentions  a  large  sycamore  (aliso)  on  whose  trunk  he  carved  with  a 
knife  ''ANO  1776.  VINO  LA  EXPEDICION  DE  SAN  FRAN- 
CISCO." 


ANZA'S  DIARY  79 

orders  to  the  effect  that  if  in  the  meanwhile  any- 
thing of  the  kind  which  they  feared  should  occur 
they  must  send  me  the  appropriate  notice.  The 
rain,  with  intermittent  snow,  continued  until  eleven 
at  night,  when  it  began  to  abate. — 44.  From  Tubac 
to  Arroyo  de  los  Alisos,  191  leagues. 

Wednesday,  January  3. — Notwithstanding  that 
it  was  not  certain  whether  it  would  rain  or  not, 
although  it  was  very  cloudy,  we  set  forth  on  the 
march  at  a  quarter  to  nine,  continuing  over  good 
country  toward  the  west  with  some  turns  to  the 
west-southwest.  In  this  direction  we  traveled  five 
leagues  in  a  little  more  than  five  hours,  until  we 
crossed  the  river  of  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel, 
where  a  halt  was  made  because  the  saddle  animals 
were  completely  worn-out,  since  the  road  had  been 
so  miry,  as  well  as  because  a  woman  had  been 
complaining  bitterly  as  a  result  of  a  wetting  which 
she  received  yesterday;  and  besides,  I  saw  that  we 
should  not  be  able  to  reach  the  place  to  which  they 
have  moved  this  mission.^ — 45.  From  Tubac  to  the 
crossing  of  the  river  of  Mission  San  Gabriel,  196 
leagues. 

1  Camp  was  made  on  San  Gabriel  Wash  nearly  east  of  the  present 
site  of  the  mission.  Since  Anza's  last  journey  the  mission  had  been 
moved  about  a  league  north  to  its  present  site.  Anza  gives  the  march 
as  five  leagues  west-northwest.  The  route  swung  northwest  past 
Laverne  and  San  Dimas,  thence  directly  toward  San  Gabriel.  Font 
says  that  about  a  league  after  starting  they  threaded  a  pass  or  open- 
ing **  formed  on  the  right  by  the  skirts  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  on 
the  left  by  some  low  hills  which  turn  to  the  west,  and  at  whose  foot 
there  is  a  lagoon  when  it  rains."  This  pass,  near  San  Dimas,  was 
called  on  the  first  expedition  Puerto  de  los  Osos. 


80      THE  SAN  PEANCISCO  COLONY 

Thursday,  January  4. — At  nine  o'clock  we  raised 
our  train,  and  having  set  forth  on  the  march  we 
continued  to  the  west  for  two  leagues,  which  were 
covered  in  as  many  hours.  At  the  end  of  this  time 
we  arrived  at  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel,  where  I 
met  Don  Fernando  Rivera  y  Moncada,  the  com- 
mander of  all  this  Northern  California.  He  had 
arrived  the  day  before  on  his  way  to  the  port  of 
San  Diego  to  repair  as  far  as  possible  the  disaster 
which  had  taken  place  there  and  where  it  is  feared 
others  equal  or  worse  may  happen,  but  since  he 
learned  that  I  would  arrive  soon  he  thought  it  well 
to  await  me.^ — 46.  From  Tubac  to  Mission  San 
Gabriel,  198  leagues. 

Friday,  January  5. — This  commander  informed 
me  in  detail  of  everything  that  had  happened  at  the 
mission  of  San  Diego,  saying  that  it  was  necessary 
for  him  to  go  there  for  a  time  to  see  if  it  was  possible 
to  capture  the  prime  movers  of  the  rebellion,^  and 
that  he  planned  to  administer  to  them  punishment 
appropriate  to  their  assault,  as  well  as  to  others  who 
merit  it.  He  did  not  doubt  that  these  would  be  many, 
for  the  common  report  given  by  the  few  who  escaped 
is  that  the  number  of  those  who  attacked  must  be 
six  hundred,  among  them  being  both  heathen  and 
Christian  Indians  newly  reduced. 

1  Font  gives  the  distance  as  two  leagues  west-southwest,  inclining 
somewhat  west,  which  is  evidently  more  exact.  He  gives  a  long  de- 
scription of  Mission  San  Gabriel  at  that  time.  Eivera  had  come  from 
Monterey,  his  capital. 

2  In  the  uprising  Fray  Luis  Jaume  ( Jayme)  had  been  killed. 


^^;^**^<^^2):^C^  1. 

^^^be^&H^^  ^^^ba^a^,.0^  ^-e/Oj^^Ax 


<^2!^ 


Q4<*^  cie€aH^iH>^  ,jai^t(gck:^^^  .jaiL^fe«at. 

^^^^CCn^94f^Oa0^^  *-^Jia^aL « .  'l^ 

^tir^ra4iaa,^lu^ 'J^^X^^^ 1^^ 

iQjo^^U.;^. .-...r_  4^ 

First  page  of  Anza's  diary. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  81 

Thinking  the  soldiery  which  he  brings  with  him 
insufficient  to  undertake  these  measures  which  he 
considers  appropriate  to  effect  the  pacification  which 
they  desire  in  these  new  establishments,  and  espe- 
cially in  San  Diego,  where  they  expect  a  second 
rebellion,  he  requested  me,  for  whatever  in  these  par- 
ticulars may  be  of  interest  to  the  service  of  the  king, 
to  please  aid  him  in  his  plans  with  the  soldiers  whom 
I  am  bringing  at  my  command  to  deliver  at  the  pre- 
sidio of  Monte  Eey.  He  assumed  that  the  more 
urgent  circumstances  described  would  not  delay 
their  arrival  at  Monte  Rey,  and  that  they  would  be 
no  less  ready  for  the  exploration  of  the  River  of  San 
Francisco,  in  which  we  both  ought  to  take  part,  since 
he  feared  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  accomplish 
this  expedition  during  the  present  season  of  the 
rains,  which  do  not  permit  of  going  forward,  both 
because  of  the  condition  of  the  land  as  well  as  be- 
cause of  the  intervening  rivers.^ 

In  view  of  all  the  foregoing,  and  thinking  that  his 
Excellency  the  Viceroy  would  approve  of  my  fur- 
nishing this  commander  the  aid  which  he  asks  of  me, 
as  important  for  the  high  purposes  to  which  it  is 
directed,  I  replied  that  not  only  would  I  furnish  a 
part  of  the  troops  of  my  command,  but  that  I  would 
volunteer  to  go  personally  if  it  were  necessary  to  take 
part  in  any  military  action.  The  commander  told  me 
that  he  thought  such  a  thing  might  happen,  and  asked 

1  Anza  means  that  Eivera  argued  that  since  the  roads  to  Monte- 
rey were  unfit  for  travel  at  the  time,  the  detour  to  San  Diego  would 
not  delay  their  arrival  at  their  destination. 


82       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

me  to  assist  him  in  deciding  any  question  that  may 
arise  in  the  service  of  both  majesties.  For  my  part 
I  have  therefore  promised  to  do  this,  as  well  as  to 
proceed  in  accord  with  him  in  the  affair  and  in  re- 
porting to  his  Excellency  any  operations  which  we 
may  undertake  in  these  matters. 

Saturday,  January  6. — ^We  agreed,  the  commander 
of  these  establishments  and  I,  to  take  from  the  troop 
which  comes  under  my  orders,  seventeen  of  the  twenty 
soldiers  which  I  bring  from  the  presidios  of  the 
province  in  which  I  live,  to  go  to  the  port  and  mis- 
sion of  San  Diego ;  to  leave  in  this  mission^  the  officer 
who  also  has  come  from  the  same  province  with  the 
families  which  I  am  bringing;  to  mount  these  sol- 
diers on  the  best  riding  animals  of  my  expedition, 
and  others  which  the  commander  has  furnished;  to 
take  also  to  San  Diego  a  pack  train  of  mules  from 
the  same  expedition,  to  bring  to  it  some  of  the  pro- 
visions which  are  in  the  warehouse  there;  and  that 
today  this  troop  shall  be  furnished  with  the  pro- 
visions which  it  may  need  for  the  journey. 

1  San  Gabriel.     The  officer  referred  to  was  Moraga. 


THE  DETOUR  TO  SAN  DIEGO 

Sunday,  January  7. — In  fulfillment  of  what  was 
agreed  upon  hereinbefore,  we  set  forth  on  the  march 
at  twelve  o^clock  with  the  seventeen  soldiers  of  my 
expedition  mentioned  and  twelve  from  these  estab- 
lishments, over  the  open  and  continuous  road  for  the 
presidio  of  San  Diego.  Since  this  presidio,  according 
to  what  is  said,  is  very  near  the  coast,  and  since  its 
distance  from  this  mission  is  estimated  at  forty 
leagues,  and  its  direction  southeast  and  east-south- 
east, I  shall  not  make  further  mention  of  the  road  and 
of  the  sites  where  it  is  necessary  to  stop,  as  happened 
today  after  nightfall  at  the  river  of  Santa  Anna,  we 
having  traveled  six  leagues  in  a  little  less  than  six 
hours.^ — From  Tubac  to  the  Santa  Anna  River  on 
the  road  to  San  Diego,  204  leagues. 

Monday,  January  8. — At  a  quarter  past  seven  we 
set  forth  on  the  march,  and  having  traveled  till  half 
past  four  and  covered  eleven  leagues,  we  halted  to 
camp  for  the  night  at  Arroyo  de  la  Magdalena,  alias 
La  Quema.  At  a  place  three-quarters  of  a  league 
down  the  arroyo  they  had  begun  to  found  a  new  mis- 
sion with  the  name  of  San  Juan  Capistrano,  but 
eight  days  after  taking  possession  it  was  abandoned 

1  The  river  still  goes  by  the  same  name.   Camp  was  near  the  hills 
eastward  of  Anaheim,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Olive. 


84       THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

entirely  because  of  the  unfortunate  event  at  San 
Diego,  to  which  the  missionary  fathers  and  the  guard 
of  the  mission  withdrew.^ 

Tuesday,  January  9. — At  half  past  seven  we  set 
forth  on  the  march  and,  having  traveled  until  five 
o^clock  and  covered  eleven  leagues,  we  halted  at  the 
arroyo  of  San  Juan  Capistrano,  where  we  spent  the 
night.^ — From  Tubac  to  San  Juan  Capistrano,  226 
leagues. 

Wednesday,  January  10. — At  half  past  seven  in 
the  morning  we  continued  our  march.  Traveling  until 
four  o^clock  in  the  afternoon  and  covering  nine 
leagues,  we  reached  the  village  of  La  Soledad,  whose 
people  are  now  reduced  and  Christian,  or  regarded 
as  such.  Here  we  halted  for  the  night,  during  which 
its  people  brought  a  large  supply  of  sardines  of  ex- 
traordinary size  to  sell  us.^ — From  Tubac  to  the 
village  of  La  Soledad,  235  leagues. 

Thursday,  January  11. — A  little  after  half  past 
seven  we  continued  our  march  and,  having  traveled 
three  leagues,  at  ten  o'clock  we  arrived  at  the  port, 

1  Camp  was  some  two  miles  north  of  mission  San  Juan  Capi- 
strano, on  Arroyo  del  Trabuco,  then  called  Arroyo  de  la  Magdalena, 
alias  La  Quema.  Arroyo  Trabuco,  now  so-called,  flows  southwest  to 
San  Juan  Capistrano,  and  from  Font's  diary  we  would  infer  that 
Anza  descended  this  stream  four  leagues. 

2  Camp  was  on  San  Luis  Rey  Eiver,  then  called  Arroyo  de  San 
Juan  Capistrano. 

8  Camp  was  in  Soledad  Valley,  south  of  Delmar,  and  some  ten 
miles  north  of  San  Diego.  Font  says  that  from  camp  at  San  Die- 
guillo  (San  Dieguito)  they  went  three  leagues  southeast.  Anza  gives 
the  next  day's  march  as  three  leagues  and  Font  as  four  leagues. 
Hence  La  Soledad  must  have  been  at  least  ten  miles  from  San  Diego. 
This  would  put  camp  about  at  Sorrento. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  85 

presidio,  and  mission  of  San  Diego.  The  inhabitants 
welcomed  us  with  the  greatest  pleasure  and  inex- 
pressible satisfaction,  commensurate  with  the  fears 
they  have  felt  ever  since  the  6th  of  last  November, 
when  the  mission  which  was  about  a  league  and 
three-quarters  from  the  presidio  was  destroyed, 
down  to  the  present  moment,  when  they  have  had 
the  first  response  to  their  first  appeal. — From  Tu- 
bac  to  the  port  and  presidio  of  San  Diego,  238 
leagues. 

In  the  interim  before  our  arrival  here  a  second 
attack  had  been  threatened  by  those  who  made  the 
first  one,  among  whom,  according  to  the  statements 
of  several  natives  from  here,  are  included  all  those 
reduced  or  Christianized  and  belonging  to  the  mis- 
sion. This  is  doubtless  true,  even  though  they  might 
not  say  so,  for  it  is  certain  that  the  church  and  part 
of  the  house  of  the  mission  were  sacked  of  many 
things  by  a  considerable  number  of  people  before  the 
attack  was  begun,  which  was  about  one  o^clock  at 
night,  and  it  appears  impossible  that  this  and  the 
fire  which  they  set  beforehand,  or  their  accustomed 
yell  or  war  cry,  could  have  failed  to  be  observed  by 
someone  who  could  have  given  the  alarm  in  time.  But 
this  charge  is  explained  by  saying  that  beforehand 
they  were  arrested  in  their  own  huts  by  the  mountain 
heathen,  on  whom  they  lay  the  blame  in  order  to 
exculpate  themselves  from  treason. 

To  this  treachery,  it  cannot  be  denied,  must  be 
added  some  carelessness  on  the  part  of  the  guard  and 
escort  of  soldiers  which  the  mission  had.  For  they  did 


86       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

not  hear  the  enemy  or  discover  them  until  the  sentinel 
saw  the  fire,  which  spread  to  their  own  guardhouse 
and  to  all  the  rest  of  the  mission,  whose  buildings 
were  of  tule,  the  material  best  calculated  to  burn,  as 
happened.  Thereupon  all  those  living  there  ran  out 
precipitately  to  take  refuge  in  a  stockade,  whose  gate, 
through  the  good  fortune  and  forethought  of  one  of 
the  missionaries,  they  covered  with  some  bales  of 
clothing.  This  stockade  was  the  seat  of  their  fortune, 
for  those  who  had  the  luck  to  get  inside  of  it  escaped. 
Indeed,  the  other  father  and  the  two  servants  who 
died  in  the  action  were  killed  outside  of  the  stockade, 
the  former  much  farther  away  than  the  latter,  be- 
cause he  had  fled  to  escape  to  a  place  where  it  is 
inferred  the  barbarians  found  him. 

The  presidio  might  have  suffered  the  same  ruin 
or  tragedy  as  the  mission  if  the  attack  had  been  made 
on  it  which  also  they  had  planned,  with  the  idea,  first 
of  all,  of  getting  hold  of  the  two  cannons  which  it 
has.  This  forethought  could  not  have  been  taken  by 
the  mountain  heathen,  who  are  even  ignorant  of  the 
use  of  ordinary  arms,  if  it  had  not  been  suggested 
by  the  converted  Indians  who  already  have  knowl- 
edge of  them.  It  is  well  known  that  a  band  of  Indians 
set  out  with  this  purpose.  It  had  been  agreed  that 
as  soon  as  those  who  remained  in  the  mission  should 
see  the  fire  at  the  presidio  they  should  adopt  the 
same  procedure.  But  as  those  at  the  mission  made 
the  attack  prematurely,  when  the  others  were  half 
way  on  the  road  they  concluded  that  the  sentinel 
of  the  presidio  must  have  seen  the  fire,  and  that  in 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  87 

consequence  they  would  be  discovered,  and  by  the 
time  they  arrived  they  would  not  be  able  to  get  pos- 
session of  the  cannons.  So  they  gave  up  their  plan 
and  all  returned  to  the  mission,  which  was  fortunate 
for  this  place,  where  certainly,  because  of  its  inferior 
location  and  buildings,  its  few  troops,  and  other 
circumstances,  the  ruin  would  have  been  greater. 

Thus  it  is  that  the  enemy  did  them  a  favor  in  as- 
suming that  they  would  be  watchful,  for  the  fire  of 
the  pueblo  was  not  seen  nor  was  its  misfortune 
known  here  until  they  reported  it  from  there.  On 
getting  the  news  the  sergeant  in  command  of  the 
presidio  went  to  the  pueblo,  and  it  was  at  this  time 
that  they  brought  here  the  dead  and  wounded,  which 
included  all  the  soldiers  of  the  guard  and  two  ser- 
vants, and  some  saddle  animals,  which  the  barbarians 
might  safely  have  driven  off.  Why  they  did  not  do 
so  is  unknown.  Besides  all  the  foregoing,  on  the  very 
day  when  the  mission  was  destroyed  the  same  thing 
happened  to  the  new  one  of  San  Juan  Capistrano,^ 
which  I  mentioned  halfway  between  here  and  San 
Gabriel,  and  the  event  has  filled  everybody  with  ter- 
ror and  caused  them  to  realize  what  the  natives  of 
this  region  are  capable  of  attempting,  which  formerly 
they  did  not  believe,  a  confidence  that  has  been  the 
perdition  of  everything.  All  the  prisoners  declare 
that  forty  villages  took  part  in  the  attack. 

It  does  not  seem  to  me  proper  to  overlook  the 
coolness  with  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  pueblo  or 

1  That  is,  it  was  abandoned. 


88       THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

mission  undertook  to  exculpate  themselves  from  their 
treason,  or  that  of  the  villages  nearby.  I  have  already 
stated  that  the  former  said  that  the  first  thing  the 
heathen  did  (for  so  they  call  the  mountain  Indians 
to  whom  they  attribute  the  assault  and  the  massacre) 
was  to  seize  them,  but  that  as  soon  as  they  found 
themselves  free  they  charged  upon  them  and  put 
them  to  flight  toward  the  sierra.  But  before  they 
were  arrested  they  did  not  tell  about  this  feat  of 
which  they  now  boast,  as  one  might  expect,  to  any  of 
our  people,  but  reported  it  to  them  only  long  after 
the  attack  had  taken  place.  Besides  this,  several  days 
afterward  some  persons  were  discovered  wounded 
by  balls^  which  had  the  good  fortune  in  the  most 
active  and  hardest  part  of  the  engagement  to  kill 
two  of  the  most  intrepid  and  boldest  Indians,  by 
whose  example  the  rest  were  cowed. 

This  event  has  resulted  in  the  loss  of  all  the  Chris- 
tendom which  had  been  won,  and  which,  as  I  am  told 
by  the  missionary  father,  reached  nearly  five  hun- 
dred souls  from  various  nearby  villages.  Indeed, 
since  all  took  part  in  or  knew  of  the  rebellion  (al- 
though they  deny  it),  fearful  of  punishment  because 
they  did  not  come  out  victorious  they  have  fled,  and 
very  few  now  come  to  the  pueblo  to  receive  instruc- 
tion, and  the  number  of  those  who  live  in  it  is  like- 
wise small.  The  father  missionary  who  died  at  the 
hands  of  the  barbarians  had  succeeded  in  learning 

1  An  indication  that  they  had  taken  part  in  the  attack  and  been 
wounded  by  the  Spanish  defenders. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  89 

the  language  of  these  heathen,  which  extends  over  a 
large  district,  and  this  is  one  of  the  most  serious 
losses.^ 

Friday,  January  12. — The  commander,  having 
learned  of  these  reports  that  spread  about  after  the 
rebellion  had  taken  place  in  the  establishment,  began 
to  seek  other  information  which  would  lead  to  the 
discovery  of  the  whereabouts  of  the  Indians  who  are 
reputed  to  be  the  principal  chiefs,  in  order  to  arrange 
for  their  apprehension. 

Saturday,  January  13. — Nothing  has  happened 
on  my  part  worthy  of  note. 

Sunday,  January  14. — The  same  as  yesterday. 

Monday,  January  15. — The  commander  of  these 
establishments  told  me  that  although  he  has  tried  to 
find  out  if  by  means  of  some  of  the  reduced  Indians 
he  might  bring  about  the  delivery  of  those  who  were 
reported  to  him  as  the  authors  of  the  rebellion  under 
consideration,  he  has  not  found  any  one  whom  he  can 
trust;  and  hoping  for  the  success  of  this  plan  and 
the  fulfillment  of  his  hopes  and  for  the  quietude 
which  he  desires,  he  begged  me  to  give  him  my  opin- 
ion, in  order  that  even  though  he  should  not  achieve 
his  purpose  he  at  least  might  make  the  attempt. 

In  view  of  this,  and  taking  advantage  of  what  is 
known  concerning  the  matter,  we  agreed  that  under 
pretext  of  changing  the  guard  of  the  horse  herd,  the 
sergeant  should  set  out  tonight  from  this  presidio 

1  A  full  account  of  this  uprising  is  given  in  Palou  's  New  Cali- 
fornia. 


90       THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

with  seventeen  soldiers  and  an  interpreter  (from 
whom  also  the  object  was  concealed),  to  go  by  morn- 
ing to  a  place  a  long  distance  from  this  presidio, 
whence  it  is  known  that  the  rebels  are  accustomed 
to  come,  or  where  there  are  people  who  through  fear 
may  deliver  them  to  us.  This  march  was  begun  at 
eight  o'clock  at  night,  its  object  being  unknown  to 
anybody  in  the  place  except  the  one  who  executed  it 
and  the  two  of  us  who  decided  on  and  made  the  plans 
for  the  expedition,  so  that  the  rebels  may  have  no 
knowledge  of  it. 

Tuesday,  January  16. — Nothing  occurred  except 
that  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  it  was  noticed 
that  a  large  smoke  was  being  sent  up  in  the  direction 
in  which  we  judged  the  sergeant  to  be  going.  From 
this  we  infer  that  the  heathen  have  spied  him  and 
are  giving  news  of  it  to  others,  for  this  method  is 
common  among  them  all. 

Wednesday  and  Thursday,  January  17  and  18. — 
There  was  nothing  to  note. 

Friday,  January  19. — At  seven  o'clock  at  night 
the  party  returned  in  charge  of  the  sergeant,  bring- 
ing four  heathen,  two  of  whom  were  chiefs  of  villages 
who  contributed  to  the  attack  on  the  destroyed  mis- 
sion. The  others  were  private  individuals  who, 
together  with  the  foregoing,  declare  that  the  two 
principal  chiefs  of  the  rebels.  Christians  called  Carlos 
and  Francisco,  are  now  in  the  roughest  part  of  the 
sierra  with  a  band  of  heathen,  fearful  that  we  may 
hunt  them  out  in  order  to  punish  them.    They  also 


ANZA'S  DIARY  91 

say  that  they  have  been  intending  to  return  to  attack 
this  presidio  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  it,  but 
that  now,  since  they  have  learned  of  our  arrival  here, 
they  have  given  up  the  plan.  These  four  heathen 
were  secured  for  the  night  by  being  put  in  prison. 

Saturday,  January  20. — Commander  Don  Fer- 
nando de  Eivera  y  Moncada  asked  me  to  join  him 
in  taking  the  testimony  which  he  obtained  from 
these  four  heathen.  They  told  the  same  story  as 
before,  adding  that  the  late  rebellion  was  planned 
entirely  by  Christian  Indians,  who  suggested  it  to 
the  heathen  who  for  this  reason  came  to  take  part 
in  it.  Having  obtained  this  information,  the  com- 
mander considered  it  wise  to  say  to  the  two  pri- 
vate heathen,  in  order  that  they  might  persuade  all 
those  of  their  kind  that  they  must  become  peaceful 
and  not  listen  to  the  counsels  of  the  bad,  since  these 
counsels  were  causing  their  destruction  and  incom- 
moding their  lives,  that  he  would  persecute  them, 
and  would  do  it  in  short  order  with  the  troops, 
who  would  set  upon  them  immediately,  beginning  at 
once  if  they  did  not  deliver  the  two  indicated  heads 
of  the  recent  sedition  and  unless  all  came  to  sur- 
render. 

Sunday,  January  21. — Nothing  occurred  except 
that  it  began  to  rain  and  continued  until  well  after 
nightfall. 

Monday,  January  22. — Noting  today  the  contin- 
uation of  the  rains,  which  occur  in  this  region  from 
November  until  March,  with  some  fair  spells,  and 


92      THE  SAN  PEANCISCO  COLONY 

that  the  measures  which  the  commander  of  the  place 
thinks  necessary  to  correct  and  punish  the  rebellion 
which  occurred  here  are  going  somewhat  slowly,  for 
the  first  reason  I  thought  it  wise  to  confer  with  him 
concerning  the  matter,  so  that  I  might  not  be  charged 
with  luke-warmness  through  failure  to  proceed  on 
my  way  to  carry  out  the  orders  of  his  Excellency, 
especially  that  of  going  with  all  my  expedition  to 
the  presidio  of  Monte  Rey  and  from  there  to  the  ex- 
ploration of  the  Eiver  of  San  Francisco.  So  I  asked 
the  commander  to  tell  me  what,  more  or  less,  he 
needed  in  the  way  of  aid  from  me,  saying  that  if  he 
thought  it  would  take  longer  than  all  the  present 
month  I  feared  that  it  would  interfere  with  the  fulfill- 
ment of  the  instructions  which  have  been  given  me.  I 
told  him  that  in  order  that  this  might  not  happen, 
and  assuming  that  he  was  unable  to  leave  this  place, 
it  appeared  to  me  that  I  ought  to  leave  him  ten  sol- 
diers of  my  command  so  that  he  might  continue  his 
operations;  and  that  with  the  remaining  seven  I 
ought  to  return  to  San  Gabriel  and  from  there  con- 
tinue with  my  expedition  until  I  should  deliver  it  at 
Monte  Rey,  so  that  from  there  I  might  go  on,  even  at 
the  risk  of  the  rains,  to  explore  the  harbor  of  San 
Francisco,  in  order  thereby  to  report  to  his  Excel- 
lency what  I  might  observe  in  the  reconnaissance. 

To  this  proposal  the  commander  replied  that  I 
must  already  know  that  there  was  nothing  at  present 
of  more  importance  for  the  service  of  God  and  the 
king  than  the  complete  pacification  of  the  rebellion 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  93 

which  had  occurred,  for  without  it  he  considered  this 
important  port  as  lost,  and  that  if  the  evil  spread,  all 
the  remaining  establishments  of  his  command  would 
fall.  He  therefore  requested  that  I  should  have  the 
goodness  not  to  take  from  San  Gabriel  the  soldiers 
whom  I  have  there  in  my  command  to  deliver  at 
Monte  Rey,  for  being  in  the  middle  of  the  frontier 
they  could  lend  a  hand  from  there  if  it  were  neces- 
sary. He  added  that  since  he  is  not  going  to  the 
founding  of  the  fort  and  mission  of  San  Francisco 
until  he  sees  this  situation  entirely  tranquil,  or  until 
he  shall  have  new  orders  concerning  the  matter  from 
his  Excellency  the  Viceroy,  to  whom  up  to  the  pres- 
ent the  uprising  has  not  been  reported,  it  would  not 
be  harmful  to  retain  the  troops  at  San  Gabriel. 

But  this  pacification,  as  I  see  it,  will  be  very  slow, 
especially  if  it  is  to  result  from  any  punishment  or 
example,  for  the  rebels  will  not  experience  any  such 
thing  until  after  the  rains  have  ceased,  nor  until  the 
few  mounts  now  possessed  by  the  soldiers  of  this 
presidio,  which  are  almost  unable  to  move,  as  well 
as  those  which  I  have  brought  here,  shall  have  re- 
cuperated. And  so,  in  order  not  to  oppose  any  plan 
of  the  person  who  is  in  command  of  this  frontier,  it 
appears  to  me  to  be  in  the  interest  of  the  king  to 
agree  to  what  he  requests  of  me,  and  leave  these 
troops  where  he  thinks  best,  and  also  for  me  to  re- 
main here  as  he  requests  of  me,  to  await  the  return 
of  another  party  which  he  intends  to  send  into  the 
sierra  as  soon  as  the  weather  clears,  to  get  inf  orma- 


94      THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

tion  concerning  the  rebels  and  their  plans.  But  when 
that  party  returns,  if  it  brings  no  news  which  I  think 
requires  my  remaining  here,  especially  for  service  in 
the  nature  of  offensive  operations  in  the  field,  which 
is  what  I  offered  to  come  here  for,  I  shall  return  at 
once  to  carry  out,  for  my  part,  the  orders  of  his  Ex- 
cellency, assuming  now  that  this  commander  will  be 
present  at  Monte  Key  and  the  port  of  San  Francisco, 
and  that  he  shall  charge  himself  with  taking  com- 
mand of  my  expedition  before  it  reaches  the  former 
place  and  make  himself  responsible  for  it  to  his  Ex- 
cellency. Indeed,  for  me  to  await  the  completion  of 
the  task  in  which  this  commander  plans  to  employ 
himself  many  months,  I  think  would  be  reprehensi- 
ble conduct  on  my  part,  and  especially  if  I  fail  to  do 
what  I  can  without  prejudice  to  him. 

Tuesday,  January  23. — It  continued  raining  al- 
most all  day. 

Wednesday,  January  24. — Nothing  occurred  ex- 
cept that  there  were  continual  signs  of  rain  which 
were  not  fulfilled. 

Thursday,  January  25. — Morning  dawned  clear 
and  so  Commander  Don  Fernando  decided  to  send 
sixteen  soldiers  in  charge  of  their  sergeant  to  seek 
the  two  prime  movers  of  the  uprising  who,  according 
to  reports,  come  occasionally  to  a  village  not  very 
far  from  here.  The  sergeant  set  out  after  nightfall, 
and  is  to  reach  the  place  in  the  morning,  appropriate 
precaution  having  been  taken  so  that  the  Indians  who 
reside  here  may  not  give  the  others  any  warning. 


AJSTZA'S  DIARY  95 

Friday,  January  26. — At  half  past  seven  o^clock 
at  night  the  party  who  set  out  in  charge  of  the  ser- 
geant returned,  bringing  nine  Indians  accused  of 
having  taken  part  in  the  attack  and  the  destruction 
of  the  mission,  among  them  being  two  Christians  and 
one  of  the  captains  of  the  village  of  San  Luis,  who 
are  also  indicated  as  being  ring  leaders  in  the  rebel- 
lion, in  which  village  and  in  whose  possession  were 
found  various  fragments  of  the  sacred  vestments 
which  they  stole.  To  those  least  culpable  a  sound 
beating  was  given  the  same  night,  but  because  there 
was  no  place  in  which  to  secure  them  they  were  given 
their  liberty,  with  the  warning  that  it  was  through 
our  clemency  that  they  were  allowed  to  escape  with 
their  lives,  which  we  would  proceed  to  take  if  they 
hid  the  principal  rebels.  The  two  most  under  sus- 
picion were  put  in  handcuffs  and  under  guard  of  a 
sentinel.  At  half  past  nine  the  same  party  set  out  to 
go  by  morning  to  the  village  of  La  Soledad,  distant 
three  leagues,  to  which,  they  say,  one  of  those  whom 
they  regard  as  a  principal  leader,  now  called  Carlos, 
has  come  to  watch  our  movements. 

Saturday,  January  27. — A  little  before  noon  the 
party  returned  with  the  report  that  the  Indian  whom 
they  were  seeking  had  left  La  Soledad  the  day  before. 
The  captain  of  that  village  even  denied  that  he  had 
been  there,  but  others  having  declared  that  this  was 
untrue,  the  sergeant  gave  the  captain  the  appropriate 
beating,  and  warned  him  that  if  next  time  he  did  not 
report  Carlos  ^s  coming  there  he  would  be  treated  as 
an  out  and  out  enemy. 


96      THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Sunday,  January  28. — Nothing  of  importance  oc- 
curred. 

Monday,  January  29. — The  same  as  yesterday. 

Tuesday  and  Wednesday,  January  30  and  31. — 
For  my  part  I  have  nothing  to  write  about. 

Thursday,  February  1. — At  twelve  o'clock  today 
a  party  of  six  soldiers  set  out  with  letters  for  his 
Excellency,  containing  news  of  the  rebellion  and  of 
the  events  that  have  taken  place  here,  from  the 
commander  of  these  establishments  as  well  as  from 
me.  This  party  goes  as  far  as  the  first  mission  of 
Old  California,  and  in  case  there  should  not  be  an 
opportunity  there  to  send  the  letters  to  the  next 
mission  the  party  is  to  take  them  there  itself. 

Friday,  February  2. — Morning  dawned  with  signs 
of  rain  which  were  verified  during  the  afternoon  and 
part  of  the  night. 

Saturday,  February  3. — At  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning  five  soldiers  arrived  from  the  mission  of 
San  Gabriel  with  a  report  from  Lieutenant  Don 
Josef  Joachm  Moraga  and  the  commissary  of  the 
troop  destined  for  the  fort  of  San  Francisco,  inform- 
ing me  that  the  father  minister  of  the  mission 
charged  with  supplying  that  troop  with  provisions 
has  told  them  that  he  cannot  do  so  in  the  future,  be- 
cause if  he  does  he  will  lack  what  is  necessary  for  the 
Indians  of  his  mission,  and  that  in  view  of  this  he 
has  furnished  only  what  was  necessary  for  half  ra- 
tions for  eight  days.  With  this  news  the  soldiers  were 
very  much  displeased;  and  even  granting  that  the 


ULOU  C/ti  J  ^^114  iTiCiT^  ^<*  ^  »wi/>?«t**«.     a/Z^iO''^ eULo--*^  COTK/O  \SoCc^eio^   w^fifiO*^ 

9e  U<^^ee4 ;  let  JixL  tK/6ihrytit.cU  ,  a  He  n>o  U>  i>i^'^^  e^fo  t-ccUnx/Ju  9<<^ 

(L  hX  (/tie   cUJt^  elctyn^tnt/a,    fiox.  e/ntc^x^  ,   no    cc^t^xe^oWe  ©^  rruA.^ 

f^       '^OArrtn  f  a  (ran  ^  ft^^  tso  -Uc/ne^t^ 

pCX   (nee  TTl^  -tjcoA'^X/rfay'n'  Jtiiyy/-yOX<rvt,cusyrK^caA*    acce  A,(XX^^etJnrnn  -^  - 

(Jitcrro  /my^dAuS  ^e<M.cu  e^  cQ/»» t^^^*^^  -yvc^ryodCi  Peoc^w?,*^ 
A  page  of  Anza's  diary. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  97 

ration  should  be  a  full  one,  it  does  not  correspond 
very  closely  to  tlie  one  assigned  by  his  Excellency  in 
council  of  war  and  royal  exchequer,  considering  the 
scarcity  in  the  mission  and  its  inability  to  bring  sup- 
plies to  it  from  the  ports  of  Monte  Eey  and  this  one 
where  we  are,  which  are  the  places  where  provisions 
are  to  be  had. 

This  misfortune  having  been  reported,  as  was 
natural,  to  Commander  Don  Fernando  Eivera,  it  has 
been  to  both  of  us  alike  a  matter  for  sorrow,  because 
it  upsets  the  plans  which  we  have  made  to  insure  the 
tranquillity  which  is  necessary  in  the  rebellious  In- 
dians, not  one  of  whom  has  yet  come  to  present 
himself.  In  view  of  everything  we  agreed  that  a  pack 
train  of  maize  and  beans  shall  be  sent  from  here,  in 
order  that  those  troops  may  be  supplied ;  that  twenty 
soldiers  shall  go  with  their  families  to  Monte  Rey, 
since  there  are  no  provisions  in  San  Gabriel  nor  any 
means  of  carrying  them  there  from  here;  and  that 
the  other  ten  shall  remain  at  that  mission  to  guard 
it,  most  of  the  soldiers  of  the  former  coming  to  rein- 
force this  presidio  for  the  scouting  expeditions  which 
may  be  considered  necessary  and  be  undertaken. 

Likewise  we  have  agreed  that  I  shall  escort  the 
families  mentioned  until  I  take  them  beyond  the 
Channel  of  Santa  Barbara,  in  view  of  the  dense  pop- 
ulation of  Indians  who  inhabit  the  country  as  far  as 
there,  and  who  last  year  took  arms  against  our  men, 
although  they  were  defeated  by  them.  From  there, 
free  of  this  duty,  the  next  establishments  being  now 


98       THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

in  good  condition,  making  it  possible  for  the  troop 
mentioned  to  take  some  rests,  which  will  be  necessary 
because  of  the  present  rains,  I  shall  go  ahead'  for 
the  purpose  of  gaining  time  to  prepare  in  Monte  Key 
for  my  journey  for  the  exploration  of  the  port  of  San 
Francisco,  in  case  it  is  permitted  by  the  floods  of  the 
rivers,  which  are  regarded  as  unf  ordable  until  April 
or  May. 

These  decisions,  which  were  made  through  neces- 
sity, are  a  matter  of  regret  to  both  the  commander 
and  to  me,  for  they  appear  to  be  contrary  in  part  to 
the  plans  which  have  just  been  reported  to  his  Excel- 
lency. But  the  cause  of  the  change  has  already  been 
stated.  Moreover,  it  is  also  patent  that  the  sole  aim 
of  the  decisions  made  is  to  restore  to  this  presidio 
the  desired  tranquillity  which  the  commander  is 
trying  to  establish,  and  to  facilitate  the  exploration 
mentioned,  in  order  to  proceed  to  the  foundation. 
Both  aims  free  us  of  any  charge  of  insincerity;  in- 
deed, even  our  own  interests  would  lead  us  to  desire 
to  be  finishing  the  latter  task  now,  and  that  in  its 
execution  we  should  meet  no  obstacle. 

Sunday,  February  4. — At  ten  o  'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing the  pack  train  of  provisions  mentioned  set  out. 
It  had  been  decided  on  some  time  back,  but  since  even 
the  mules  which  carried  them  were  very  weak,  it  had 
been  suspended  until  today,  the  time  set  from  the 
first  for  starting,  after  which  I  was  to  set  forth. 

1  Leaving  the  colonists  to  follow  more  slowly.  This  part  of  the 
plan  was  not  carried  out,  and  Anza  remained  with  his  colony  till  it 
reached  Monterey. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  99 

Monday,  February  5. — At  daybreak  it  was  rain- 
ing, the  storm  having  come  up  since  nine  o^clock 
last  night. 

Tuesday,  February  6. — The  rain  continued,  with 
a  very  strong  wind. 

Wednesday,  February  7. — It  was  raining  this 
morning  the  same  as  yesterday,  and  the  ground  was 
so  miry  that  only  with  difficulty  have  they  been  able 
to  come  to  report  from  the  guard  of  the  horse  herd, 
which  is  less  than  a  league  from  here. 

Thursday,  February  8. — As  impassable  as  yes- 
terday. 

Friday,  February  9. — Notwithstanding  that  the 
arroyo  near  this  presidio  is  extremely  difficult,  I  de- 
cided to  set  forth  and  we  crossed  it  in  almost  six 
palms  of  water.  We  had  some  difficulty  at  the  next 
arroyo,  San  Dieguito,  and  another,  because  all  the 
creeks  have  become  rivers.  At  the  arroyo  of  Agua 
Hedionda  we  halted  to  pass  the  night.^ 

Saturday,  February  10. — At  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning  we  continued  our  march,  the  ground  being 
very  miry,  and  at  vespers  we  halted  at  the  arroyo  of 
La  Quema.^ 

Sunday,  February  11. — At  the  same  time  as  yes- 
terday morning,  and  over  drier  country  now,  we  con- 
tinued our  march  until  half  past  four  in  the  afternoon, 
when  we  arrived  at  the  Santa  Ana  River,  where  I 

1  Agua  Hedionda  still  bears  the  same  name.  It  is  a  creek  which 
enters  the  ocean  just  south  of  Carlsbad. 

2  Pont,  more  exactly,  says  they  halted  at  a  small  arroyo  '  *  a  league 
before  reaching  La  Quema.'* 


100     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

halted  for  the  night.^  Here  I  overtook  the  pack  train 
which  is  carrying  the  provisions,  it  having  set  out 
from  San  Diego  on  the  4th.  The  corporal  in  charge 
reported  to  me  that  there  had  been  no  other  difficulty 
on  his  march  than  the  rain  already  mentioned,  and 
the  miry  places  which  have  made  it  impossible  for 
him  to  travel  any  faster. 

Monday,  February  12. — ^We  set  forth,  all  together 
now,  for  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel,  where  we  arrived 
in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon.  Here  I  learned  of  the 
incident  that  occurred  at  twelve  o  'clock  the  night  be- 
fore. It  was  that  a  soldier,  one  of  the  old  ones  of 
these  establishments,  who  at  the  time  was  entrusted 
with  the  care  of  the  saddle  animals  of  all  the  guard 
and  those  of  the  mission,  deserted  in  company  with 
three  muleteers  of  my  train  and  a  servant  of  the  ser- 
geant of  the  expedition.  For  this  purpose  they  car- 
ried off  about  twenty-five  saddle  animals,  the  best  of 
those  belonging  to  both,  although  the  greater  part  of 
them  belonged  to  the  mission.  In  this  theft  were  in- 
cluded also  two  mules  belonging  to  the  expedition. 

The  first  that  was  known  of  this  matter  was  when 
one  of  the  muleteers  who  have  remained  returned 
at  midnight  from  the  ranch  of  the  soldiers  to  sleep 
at  his  camp  and  noted  some  fragments  scattered 
about.  Inferring  from  this  that  there  had  been  a 
robbery,  he  immediately  reported  to  the  officer  and 
the  commissary,  and  they  went  at  once  to  examine 
the  site  and  the  pieces,  inquiring  for  the  guard  in 

1  The  indications  are  that  camp  was  near  Olive,  as  on  the  south- 
ward journey. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  101 

whose  charge  they  had  been.  He  was  not  found,  but 
they  did  find  that  they  had  stolen  some  glass  beads, 
tobacco,  and  chocolate,  which  indicated  a  desertion. 
A  review  of  all  the  men  being  held,  it  was  found 
that  the  persons  mentioned  were  lacking,  besides 
two  muskets,  a  saddle,  and  other  things  of  less  im- 
portance which  they  were  able  to  lay  their  hands  on. 

In  view  of  all  the  foregoing,  and  it  not  being 
noticed  in  the  morning  that  the  saddle  animals  men- 
tioned were  lacking,  for  they  were  turned  out  loose 
in  the  fields,  they  sent  to  where  our  mounts  were 
being  guarded  for  those  necessary  to  follow  the  de- 
serters, and  Lieutenant  Moraga  set  out  after  them 
with  ten  soldiers,  determined  to  follow  them  two 
days,  which  is  as  much  as  the  animals  can  stand, 
although  they  chose  the  best  of  them. 

I  have  done  all  I  could  to  learn  whether  the  dis- 
ease of  desertion  has  spread  to  the  soldiers,  or  to 
persons  who  have  come  to  settle  in  these  places, 
but  I  have  not  found  any  one  so  infected.  This  seems 
to  be  proved  by  the  event  itself,  for  among  those 
who  have  fled  no  one  from  these  classes  is  included. 
And  it  is  the  common  opinion  that  the  soldier  in- 
fluenced the  other  four,  for  they  say  he  has  been 
under  suspicion  of  desertion  ever  since  he  came, 
and  is  so  desperate  and  bold  that  on  another  occa- 
sion he  attempted  to  desert  from  Baja  California 
on  a  tule  raft.  He  sailed  on  it  at  the  will  of  the 
wind  for  a  day,  but  the  next  day  he  was  wafted  back 
to  the  very  land  from  which  he  wished  to  escape. — 


102     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

From  Tubac  to  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel,  counting 
the  journey  to  San  Diego  and  the  return  to  this 
mission,  278  leagues  have  been  traveled. 

Tuesday,  February  13. — It  is  necessary  to  await 
the  return  of  Lieutenant  Moraga,  because  both  he 
and  the  seven  soldiers  who  are  with  him  have  to 
go  forward  to  escort  their  families.  Moreover,  the 
country  is  impassable  because  of  the  mires  which 
are  caused  by  the  heavy  rains,  which  have  been  con- 
tinuous during  these  last  six  days.  For  all  these 
reasons  I  decided  to  await  him. 

Wednesday,  February  14. — I  continued  to  wait, 
as  explained  above,  and  today  there  was  some  rain. 

Thursday,  February  15. — At  half  past  seven  at 
night  arrived  two  of  the  soldiers  who  were  accom- 
panying the  lieutenant  who  is  pursuing  the  deserters. 
He  sent  them  back  from  the  region  of  the  Laguna 
de  San  Antonio  Bucareli,^  on  the  road  to  Sonora, 
on  the  night  of  the  day  when  he  set  out  from  here. 
The  reason  was  as  follows:  Having  lost  the  road 
on  account  of  the  thick  fog,  he  turned  back  while  it 
was  still  foggy  to  find  it  again.  He  discovered  that 
the  relay  which  he  had  brought  in  his  rear  guard  had 
kept  on  the  road  and  had  gone  ahead  at  a  time  when 
one  of  the  soldiers  was  run  away  with  by  his  horse. 
Fearing  that  he  would  not  overtake  the  relay  with- 
out a  long  delay,  he  thought  it  best  to  entrust  it  to 
another  in  order  that  they  might  return  here,  he 
continuing  on  his  way  without  any  loss   of  time. 

1  Lake  San  Jacinto,  now  dry. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  103 

From  what  is  inferred  from  the  trail,  the  deserters 
have  not  stopped  anywhere  except  to  change  horses. 
This  they  are  doing  frequently,  and  since  they  are 
taking  a  better  relay  than  those  who  are  following 
them,  it  will  be  difficult  for  them  to  overtake  them 
unless  the  deserters  become  careless. 

Friday,  February  16. — Before  daybreak  it  began 
to  rain,  and  at  nine  o  'clock  the  land  was  so  miry  that 
although  our  horse  herd  is  not  a  league  away,  those 
who  came  to  give  a  report  of  it  and  of  its  guard  were 
about  an  hour  and  a  half  on  the  way.  They  reported 
that  on  account  of  the  mires  it  is  not  possible  to 
guard  the  horse  herd,  for  which  reason  the  herd  will 
be  turned  loose  and  watched. 

Saturday,  February  17. — The  weather  was  clear 
until  three  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  few  clouds 
which  remained  from  the  day  and  the  night  before 
discharged  some  water. 

Sunday,  February  18. — It  ceased  raining  and 
nothing  in  particular  occurred. 

Monday,  February  19. — Nothing  worth  mention- 
ing happened. 


FROM  SAN  GABRIEL  TO  MONTEREY 

Tuesday,  February  20. — Lieutenant  Moraga,  who 
is  following  the  deserters,  has  not  yet  returned, 
and  I  conclude  from  this  delay  that  he  has  followed 
them  as  far  as  the  Colorado  River,  making  it  im- 
possible for  him  to  return  so  soon.  And  since  it  is 
not  permissible  to  await  him  any  longer,  through  lack 
of  provisions  and  inability  to  bring  them  from  the 
other  missions,  I  have  decided  to  set  forth  with  most 
of  the  expedition  for  the  presidio  of  Monte  Rey,  as 
Don  Fernando  Rivera  and  I  agreed,  and  as  has 
been  set  forth  hereinbefore.  I  am  leaving  orders 
that  as  soon  as  Lieutenant  Moraga  returns  he  shall 
follow  and  overtake  me,  with  the  escort  which  I  am 
leaving  here.  I  am  also  arranging  that  twelve  sol- 
diers of  my  expedition  now  at  this  mission  are  to 
remain,  including  the  four  who  are  with  the  lieu- 
tenant, in  order  that  with  this  number  and  five  of 
the  old  soldiers  of  these  establishments,  the  neces- 
sary guard  may  remain  in  this  one,  in  charge  of  the 
sergeant  of  my  expedition.  Eight  are  to  go  to  the 
presidio  of  San  Diego  to  bring  provisions  for  both 
guards  and  for  the  twelve  families  who  are  remain- 
ing here,  setting  out  on  the  22d  of  this  month 
with  a  pack  train  of  mules,  also  belonging  to  my 


ANZA'S  DIARY  105 

expedition.  For  this  reason  I  am  reporting  to  Don 
Fernando  Eivera  everything  that  has  occurred,  and 
telling  him  what  supplies  I  am  leaving  for  the  troops 
and  families  destined  for  this  place.  They  consist 
of  only  enough  for  twenty-three  days. 

Wednesday,  February  21. — At  half  past  eleven, 
when  everything  was  ready  for  the  march,  I  set  forth 
with  seventeen  of  the  soldiers  and  the  same  num- 
ber of  the  families  destined  to  remain  in  this  Cali- 
fornia, besides  six  of  my  company.  Four  of  these 
last  are  remaining  here  to  await  Lieutenant  Moraga, 
as  has  been  said,  and  also  to  escort  the  cattle  belong- 
ing to  the  colonists.  I  set  out  on  the  regular  road 
to  Monte  Rey,  which  we  followed  for  a  little  more 
than  a  league  to  the  southwest.  Continuing  for 
another  league  to  the  west-southwest,^  we  crossed 
the  Porciuncula  River.  After  this  we  made  three 
more  leagues,  traveling  until  five  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  having  marched  five  and  a  half  hours, 
when  we  halted  at  El  Portezuelo,  where  the  night 
was  passed.  Notwithstanding  that  for  a  number  of 
days  past  it  has  not  rained  very  hard,  the  road  has 
been  so  heavy  that  many  of  the  mules  which  carried 
the  loads  fell  down.- — From  Tubac  to  El  Portezuelo, 
exclusive  of  the  distance  traveled  in  going  to  and 
returning  from  San  Diego,  203  leagues. 

1  Font  says  west  to  the  river. 

2  The  route  was  evidently  along  the  line  of  the  Southern  Pacific 
Railroad  through  Alhambra  to  Los  Angeles  River,  thence  northwest 
up  the  river  through  the  Portezuelo.  Camp  was  at  the  turn  of  the 
mountains  west  of   Glendale. 


106     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Thursday,  February  22. — Having  moved  our 
train,  at  eight  o^clock  in  the  morning  we  continued 
on  our  way.  Going  mainly  to  the  west,  over  better 
footing  than  yesterday  and  by  the  trail  mentioned, 
we  made  seven  leagues  in  as  many  hours,  traveling 
until  three  in  the  afternoon,  and  reaching  the  site 
of  Agua  Escondida,  where  camp  was  made  for 
the  night. — From  Tubac  to  Agua  Escondida,  210 
leagues.^ 

Friday,  February  23. — Eaising  our  train,  at 
eight  o'clock  we  set  forth,  going  southwest  for  a 
league,  at  the  end  of  which  we  continued,  gradually 
rising,  for  a  matter  of  three  leagues,  at  which  dis- 
tance we  finished  crossing  a  small  range  which  we 
began  to  ascend  yesterday.  The  last  descent  of  it 
is  very  dangerous,  but  having  passed  it,  most  of  the 
women  going  on  foot,  we  continued  five  more  leagues 
to  the  northwest.  We  accomplished  all  this  in  ten 
hours,  and  at  six  o  'clock  we  reached  the  Santa  Clara 
Eiver,  where  the  night  was  passed,  it  having  been 
impossible  to  halt  before  this  for  lack  of  firewood.^ — 
From  Tubac  to  the  Santa  Clara  Eiver,  219  leagues. 

Saturday,  February  24. — ^With  a  dense  fog  and 
signs  of  rain  we  raised  our  camp,  and  a  little  before 
nine  o'clock  set  forth  to  the  west.     Having  trav- 

1  The  route  lay  along  the  south  side  of  San  Fernando  Valley  to 
Calabasas  and  Las  Virgenes  Creek,  near  which  camp  was  made. 
Agua  Escondida  ordinarily  means  a  watering  place  some  distance  off 
the  road. 

2  The  route  was  through  Grape  Arbor,  Eussell  Valley,  Newbury 
Park,  down  the  west  slope  of  Conejo  Mountain  (La  Cuesta),  Cama- 
rillo.  El  Rio,  and  the  Santa  Clara  River.  For  details  see  Font's 
diary. 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  107 

eled  two  leagues  we  reached  the  first  village  of  the 
Channel  of  Santa  Barbara,  along  which  we  went  in 
the  same  direction,  and  in  which  it  runs  throughout 
its  length  except  for  a  few  short  turns  to  the  north- 
west. In  a  little  more  than  six  hours  we  traveled 
four  leagues,  and  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
we  came  to  the  Eancherias  del  Eincon,  where  a  halt 
was  made  for  the  night.  In  these  two  villages  we 
have  found  an  abundance  of  good  fish,  some  of  which 
it  has  been  estimated  are  more  than  a  foot  long 
exclusive  of  the  tail,  especially  the  female  sardines, 
which  are  full  of  spawn.^ — From  Tubac  to  the  Ean- 
cherias del  Eincon,  225  leagues. 

Sunday,  February  25. — At  nine  o'clock  we  con- 
tinued our  march  along  the  same  Channel  and  in 
the  same  direction,  traveling  seven  leagues  in  a  little 
more  than  seven  hours,  and  making  camp  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  villages  of  Mexcaltitan  a  little 
before  reaching  them.  In  the  three  villages  through 
which  we  have  passed  before  these  we  have  found  a 
greater  abundance  of  fish  and  sardines  than  in  the 
previous  ones.^ — From  Tubac  to  the  Eancherias  de 
Mexcaltitan,  232  leagues. 

1  The  first  village  of  the  Santa  Barbara  Channel  was  at  Ventura, 
or  Rio  de  la  Asumpta  (Ventura  River).  Rancherias  del  Rincon  were 
on  Rinc6n  Creek,  near  Rincon  Point,  on  the  boundary  between  Ven- 
tura and  Santa  Barbara  counties.  The  day's  march  was  close  along 
the  beach,  and  nearly  northwest. 

2  The  day  *s  march  was  a  long  one.  It  took  the  colony  past  Santa 
Barbara  to  the  neighborhood  of  Goleta  and  of  Maria  Creek.  Camp 
was  a  league  northeast  of  Mescaltitan  (Font).  The  name  Mescaltitan 
is  now  represented  by  Mescal  Island,  southwest  of  Goleta.  Here  there 
were  several  villages  on  the  banks  of  the  estuary  or  lagoon  and  two 
or  more  on  the  islands  in  the  estuary. 


108     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Monday,  February  26. — At  half  past  eight  we 
set  forth  on  the  march,  continuing  along  the  same 
Channel.  We  went  west  in  the  main,  although  dur- 
ing the  first  part  of  the  march,  for  about  a  league 
and  a  half,  until  we  reached  and  passed  the  villages 
of  Mexcaltitan,  we  descended  west-southwest,  after 
which  we  traveled  for  six  and  a  half  leagues  more 
until  we  passed  the  Kancheria  Nueva,  having  already 
passed  by  five  others,  all  abounding  in  fish.  Here 
we  concluded  the  day's  march,  having  traveled  a 
little  less  than  seven  hours.^ — From  Tubac  to  the 
Rancheria  Nueva,  239  leagues. 

Tuesday,  February  27. — At  eight  o'clock  we 
raised  our  camp  and  continued  on  our  way,  still 
following  the  same  Channel  toward  the  west.  In 
this  direction  we  traveled  eight  leagues  in  slightly 
more  than  eight  hours,  until  we  had  passed  a  little 
beyond  the  village  of  El  Cojo,  having  left  behind 
four  other  habitations  of  the  same  kind.  At  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  halted  for  the  night  at 
the  place  named.^ — From  Tubac  to  the  Rancherias 
del  Cojo,  247  leagues. 

Wednesday,  February  28. — At  the  same  hour  as 
yesterday  we  set  forth  on  the  march,  following  along 
the  same  Channel  to  the  west,  with  short  turns  to 
the  west-northwest,  and  traveled  until  we  reached 

1  Rancheria  Nueva  was  apparently  at  Tajiguas  Creek.  According 
to  both  Anza  and  Font  it  was  half  way  from  the  camp  near  Mescal- 
titan  to  El  Cojo. 

2  The  village  of  El  Cojo  (The  Lame)  was  at  Canada  del  Cojo, 
just  east  of  Point  Concepcion. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  109 

the  last  village  called  the  Eancheria  de  los  Peder- 
nales,  which  is  preceded  by  that  of  La  Espada, 
having  now  finished  the  Channel  and  gone  four 
and  a  half  leagues.  From  here  we  went  northwest, 
keeping  very  close  to  the  coast  for  five  more  leagues, 
when  we  came  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  to 
the  Santa  Rosa  River.^  We  could  not  cross  it  now 
because  the  tide  was  entering  it  and  so  we  halted 
for  the  night.  The  circumstances  of  the  heathen 
who  live  on  this  Channel,  their  number,  their  mode 
of  living  in  rational  union,  the  building  of  vessels 
with  which  they  fish,  and  other  qualities  which  are 
not  usually  found  among  such  people,  I  noted  in  my 
former  diary  and  journey,  and  for  this  reason  I  am 
not  repeating  them  in  this  one. — From  Tubac  to  the 
Santa  Rosa  River,  2561^  leagues. 

Thursday,  February  29. — At  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning  I  sent  to  learn  the  condition  of  the  river. 
On  account  of  the  flood  of  water  poured  into  it  by  the 
rise  of  the  sea  it  was  not  fordable  until  half  past 
twelve,  when  with  the  falling  of  the  tide  it  was  pos- 
sible to  cross.  We  now  went  over  successfully,  after 
which  we  continued  our  march  to  the  northwest  for 
two  hours  and  three-quarters,  traveling  about  three 
leagues,  at  the  end  of  which  we  halted  at  Laguna 
Graciosa  to  pass  the  night,  since  for  four  or  five 
hours  forward  from  here  there  is  neither  water  nor 

1  Camp  was  near  Surf.  The  village  of  La  Espada  was  at  Espada 
Creek,  and  that  of  Los  Pedernales  east  of  Rocky  Point.  The  Santa 
Rosa  River  was  the  present  Santa  Ynez,  where  camp  was  made. 


110     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

firewood.^ — From  Tubac  to  Laguna  Graciosa,  259^^ 
leagues. 

Friday,  March  1. — ^With  fog  and  cold  wind,  at  a 
quarter  to  eight  in  the  morning  we  moved  our  train 
and  set  forth  on  the  march  to  the  northeast,  with 
some  turns  to  the  north,  in  which  direction  we  trav- 
eled about  three  leagues  until  we  came  to  the  village 
of  the  Laguna  Larga.  From  here  we  continued  in 
the  last-named  direction  for  two  more  leagues,  at 
the  end  of  which  we  turned  toward  the  northwest  or 
west-northwest,  and  likewise  to  the  west,  for  about 
two  and  a  half  leagues,  when  we  came  to  the  shore 
of  the  sea.  Turning  again  to  the  north,  we  traveled 
about  a  league  and  a  half  more,  at  the  end  of  which 
we  arrived  at  a  quarter  past  five  at  the  village  of 
El  Buchon,  having  traveled  nine  leagues  in  nine  and 
a  half  hours.  Here  we  halted  for  the  night.^ — From 
Tubac  to  the  Eancheria  del  Buchon,  268%  leagues. 

Saturday,  March  2. — ^We  raised  our  camp  and 
set  forth  on  the  march.  After  going  northeast  for 
a  league  we  turned  to  the  north  for  another  league, 

1  Laguna  Graciosa  was  the  lake  at  San  Antonio  Creek,  near  the 
coast.     By  a  slip  the  MS.  reads  **Precioso'*  in  this  sentence. 

2  The  route  was  near  to  the  line  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad 
most  of  the  way.  Laguna  Larga  (Long  Lake)  was  Guadalupe  Lake, 
east  of  which  Anza  went.  The  shore  was  reached  above  Oso  Flaco 
Lake.  El  Buchon  was  in  Price  Canyon  half  way  from  Pismo  to  the 
Asphalt  Mines  near  Maxwellton.  This  is  made  certain  by  Font,  who 
tells  us  that  next  day  "on  emerging  from  a  canyon  about  a  league 
from  the  camp  site  [at  the  village  of  El  Buchon]  we  traveled  along 
the  foot  of  a  hill,  between  whose  rocks  we  saw  right  on  the  road  some 
springs  of  tar  which  rise  there.''  These  springs  of  tar  were  at  the 
Asphalt  Mines. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  111 

and  then  gradually  descended  toward  the  northwest 
for  still  another  league,  when  we  arrived  at  the 
mission  of  San  Luis  just  as  it  was  striking  half  past 
eleven,  having  traveled  three  and  a  half  hours. 

Although  it  is  more  than  a  month  since  it  has 
rained  in  this  region,  today  many  mires  were  en- 
countered, one  being  so  dangerous  that  it  was  neces- 
sary to  carry  over  all  the  packloads  on  the  shoulders 
of  the  men,  most  of  the  people  going  on  foot.  Some 
of  them,  who  wished  to  avoid  wetting  their  feet, 
and  hoping  that  the  mounts  would  bring  them  out 
safely,  paid  well  for  it  by  getting  much  wetter.  This 
greater  disaster  fell  especially  on  our  colonists  and 
those  who  had  most  primped  up  to  enter  the  pueblo. 

The  welcome  which  they  gave  us  corresponded 
to  their  pleasure,  and  was  such  as  may  be  imagined 
with  people  who  spend  all  the  days  of  their  years 
without  seeing  any  other  faces  than  the  twelve  or 
thirteen  to  which  most  of  these  establishments  are 
reduced,  including  the  missionaries  and  the  guard. 
And,  aside  from  their  long  and  painful  exile  from 
the  world,  as  they  say,  we  found  them  agitated  by 
the  event  that  happened  at  San  Diego,  thinking  that 
after  the  first  uprising  another  and  worse  one  might 
have  taken  place,  as  the  rebels  threatened ;  and  what 
is  more,  by  the  understanding  that  I  had  appeared 
with  my  expedition  on  the  Colorado  River,  as  the 
same  rebels  reported,  just  at  the  time  of  their  rebel- 
lion, as  was  very  easy  for  our  people,  induced  by 
their  own  fear,  to  believe.    But  having  seen  me,  all 


112     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

melancholy  and  sadness  disappeared,  and  they  have 
turned  to  giving  thanks  to  divine  providence  and  to 
the  present  efficient  government,  that  in  such  a 
timely  manner  this  aid  in  the  way  of  troops  should 
have  come  to  them/ — From  Tubac  to  the  mission  of 
San  Luis,  271%  leagues. 

Sunday,  March  3. — I  devoted  the  present  day  to 
rest  for  the  entire  expedition. 

Monday,  March  4. — At  a  quarter  past  nine  we 
set  forth  from  this  mission,  going  northeast  for 
about  a  league  and  a  half,  in  the  course  of  which  we 
climbed  up  a  spur  of  the  Sierra  de  Santa  Lucia. 
Then,  having  traveled  an  equal  distance  or  a  little 
more  to  the  north,  we  passed  the  site  and  river  of 
Santa  Margarita.  This  we  followed  downstream 
toward  the  northwest  and  west-northwest,  in  which 
direction  it  runs,  until  we  came  to  the  site  of  La 
Assumpcion,  where  we  halted,  having  made  in  the 
whole  march  about  seven  leagues  in  seven  and  a 
quarter  hours.^ — From  Tubac  to  the  ford  of  La 
Asumpcion,  278%  leagues. 

Tuesday,  March  5. — A  little  before  half  past 
eight  we  set  forth  on  the  march,  immediately  cross- 
ing the  river  of  Monte  Rey,  which  was  done  success- 
fully although  the  river  was  somewhat  deep.    From 

1  The  route  was  essentially  that  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad 
through  Maxwellton  to  San  Luis  Obispo. 

2  The  route  was  (essentially  along  the  line  of  the  automobile 
highway)  northeast  for  a  league  up  San  Luis  Creek,  then  north  over 
La  Cuesta  to  Santa  Margarita  Creek,  down  that  stream  and  Salinas 
River  to  La  Assumpcion  above  Atascadero.  The  name  is  preserved 
in  Asuncion.     Font  gives  the  details  of  the  route  better  than  Anza. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  113 

here  we  continued  north  with  some  turns  to  the 
north  [west]  for  three  leagues,  at  the  end  of  which 
we  left  the  river  at  our  right  and  climbed  some  small 
hills  to  the  northwest.  Continuing  over  these  to  the 
west-northwest,  in  which  direction  they  run,  we  de- 
scended in  four  more  leagues  to  the  Nacimiento 
Eiver.  From  here  we  traveled  for  another  league 
to  the  west,  until  we  came  to  the  first  ford  of  the 
San  Antonio  Eiver,  where  at  half  past  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  we  halted  to  pass  the  night,  having 
traveled  eight  leagues  in  the  same  number  of  hours.^ 
— From  Tubac  to  the  ford  of  the  San  Antonio  River, 
286%  leagues. 

Wednesday,  March  6. — At  eight  o  'clock  we  moved 
our  train  and  immediately  crossed  the  river  named, 
and  then  ascended  it  to  the  west-southwest  for  about 
half  a  league.  After  this  we  continued  along  the 
same  bottom  lands,  which  little  by  little  turn  north- 
west, and  traveled  almost  to  the  place  where  it  rises 
and  to  the  mission  of  San  Antonio,  where  we  arrived 
at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  having  covered 
eight  leagues  in  as  many  hours.  The  welcome  which 
they  gave  us  here  was  as  warm  as  at  the  foregoing 
missions.  This  one  presented  our  troop  with  two 
very  fat  hogs  and  a  supply  of  suet  from  them,  a 
present  which,  on  account  of  the  condition  of  the 

1  The  first  three  leagues  took  them  to  Paso  Eobles.  Here  they 
turned  northwest  over  the  hills  along  the  Oak  Flat  Eoad  (Paso  Eo- 
bles), to  San  Marcos  Creek,  then  a  little  west  of  north  to  Nacimiento 
Eanch,  thence  west-northwest  to  San  Antonio  Eiver  near  King  Well. 
Font  gives  the  details  more  exactly  than  Anza.  I  traced  the  trail 
over  this  stretch  in  August,  1929. 


114     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

country  and  the  needs  of  our  soldiers,  has  been 
appreciated  accordingly/ — From  Tubac  to  the  mis- 
sion of  San  Antonio,  294%  leagues. 

Thursday,  March  7. — This  day  I  devoted  to  rest 
for  all  the  expedition.  At  one  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon Lieutenant  Moraga  arrived  at  this  mission 
with  a  report  that  on  the  16th  of  last  month,  about 
four  leagues  before  he  reached  the  Colorado  Eiver 
and  the  Laguna  de  Santa  Olaya,  he  succeeded  in 
overtaking  the  soldier  and  the  muleteers  who  had 
deserted  from  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel.  As  soon 
as  he  overtook  them  they  surrendered  without  re- 
sistance except  that  two  of  them  ran  a  short  dis- 
tance. But  when  he  ordered  them  to  surrender  they 
did  so,  and  he  disarmed  and  bound  them  immedi- 
ately, returning  from  that  very  place  by  the  same 
road  over  which  he  had  gone. 

In  various  depositions  which  this  officer  has 
taken  from  the  deserters  for  the  purpose  of  learning 
whether  the  soldiers  or  any  of  the  other  members 
of  the  expedition  wished  to  accompany  them,  and 
what  may  have  been  their  motives  for  committing 
the  treason  of  which  they  are  guilty,  they  reveal 
nothing  except  what  caused  it.  This  was  that  a 
muleteer,  having  stolen  two  arrobas  of  chocolate,  the 
sealed  box  of  which  was  in  his  charge,  as  well  as 
some  aguardiente  taken  from  a  sealed  barrel,  he 
became  frightened  lest  as  soon  as  I  should  notice 
this  shortage  and  others  of  similar  import  I  should 

1  The  route  was  close  along  the  San  Antonio  River  to  San  Antonio 
Mission. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  115 

punish  him  as  he  merited,  because  these  things  were 
property  of  the  expedition  and  entrusted  to  his  care. 
Not  having  any  way  of  exculpating  himself  from 
everything,  he  now  invited  the  five  persons  men- 
tioned to  flee  with  him,  the  plan  being  to  go  out  to 
the  province  of  Sonora  to  hide  themselves  there  in 
order  not  to  be  discovered. 

The  day  agreed  upon  arrived — the  same  day  on 
which  the  soldier  mentioned  was  to  guard  the  saddle 
animals  of  the  mission  and  of  its  escort.  After  he 
had  put  them  at  night  in  a  place  convenient  for  the 
rest,  they  went  to  the  instigator  to  ask  for  the  things 
which  they  took  on  the  day  of  the  desertion,  as  has 
been  said.  He  complied,  saying,  **  There  you  have 
them, '  ^  adding  that  he  was  not  going  with  them  now 
because  he  feared  the  risk  of  the  road,  and  the 
officers  of  our  settlements  if  he  should  go  without 
a  passport  from  me,  but  that  if  they  wished  to  go  he 
would  keep  their  secret.  Thereupon,  always  fearful 
of  being  discovered,  the  five  mentioned  finally  de- 
cided to  go,  as  they  did. 

As  soon  as  this  officer^  returned  to  the  mission 
of  San  Gabriel  he  put  the  men  in  prison,  and  learn- 
ing that  the  muleteer,  instigator  of  so  much  evil,  was 
on  his  way  to  San  Diego,  he  ordered  the  sergeant, 
commander  of  the  former  mission,  that  as  soon  as 
he  returned  he  should  arrest  him  and  keep  all  of 
them  secured. 

All  the  foregoing,  as  well  as  that  he  lost  seven 
riding  animals  in  pursuit  of  these  men,  this  officer 

1  Moraga. 


116     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

reported  to  Commander  Rivera,  as  it  had  been 
arranged  that  he  should  do.  To  me  likewise  he  has 
reported  that  the  heathen  of  the  Marsh  of  San 
Sebastian,  and  others  as  far  as  the  Pass  of  San 
Carlos,  wished  to  make  war  upon  him,  and  secretly 
wounded  three  of  the  riding  animals,  although  they 
did  not  capture  them,  in  order  that  the  Spaniards 
might  not  be  able  to  use  them,  but  as  soon  as  they 
made  the  attempt  he  set  upon  them,  which  was  enough 
to  cause  them  to  flee.  These  same  barbarians  have 
done  this  on  three  former  occasions,  and  it  has  been 
tolerated  in  them  up  to  now  in  order  to  justify  our 
cause.  This  officer  assures  me  likewise  that  both  he 
and  the  soldiers  who  accompanied  him  noted  among 
these  heathen  signs  which  indicate  that  they  took 
part  in  the  sacking  and  destruction  of  the  mission  of 
San  Diego,  circumstances  sufficient  to  warrant  re- 
garding them  as  vicious  as  they  are,  and  as  bad  as 
they  have  manifested  themselves  by  other  happen- 
ings among  them  ever  since  our  first  visit. 

Friday,  March  8. — Lieutenant  Moraga  and  the 
three  soldiers  whom  I  left  him  in  order  that  he  might 
follow  me,  having  joined  us,  I  set  forth  from  this 
mission  of  San  Antonio  at  a  quarter  to  nine  o'clock. 
Going  northeast  and  north  for  three  leagues,  as  far 
as  El  Roble  Caido,^  from  here  we  continued  north- 
west for  about  four  more  leagues,  until  at  a  quarter 

1  The  first  league  was  northeast  up  Sulphur  Spring  Canyon,  then 
east  to  the  Jolon  Road,  northeast  clown  Kent  Canyon  (Roble  Caido 
was  here),  not  Arroyo  Seco  as  Eldredge  thought,  then  north  past 
King  City,  to  a  point  nearly  east  of  Greenfield.  Camp  was  in  the 
valley  still  shown  on  the  map  as  Posa  de  los  Ositos  (sic). 


ANZA'S  DIARY  117 

past  three  we  came  to  Los  Ossitos  on  the  river  of 
Monte  Rey,  where  the  march  was  finished,  having 
traveled  seven  leagues  in  seven  hours.  At  twelve 
o^clock  tonight  it  rained. — From  Tubac  to  Los  Ossi- 
tos, 301%  leagues. 

Saturday,  March  9. — A  little  before  eight  o  ^clock 
we  raised  our  camp  and  set  forth  to  the  west-north- 
west over  a  spacious  and  beautiful  plain,  following 
the  bottom  lands  of  the  river.  Traveling  in  this  di- 
rection eight  leagues  in  eight  hours,  we  came  to  the 
place  of  Los  Correos,  where  we  ended  our  journey 
at  three  in  the  afternoon,  because  there  were  signs 
of  rain.^ — From  Tubac  to  Los  Correos,  3091/2  leagues. 

Sunday,  March  10. — A  little  before  four  it  began 
to  rain  lightly  and  continued  until  seven.  Since  it 
looked  as  if  it  would  clear  up  entirely,  I  gave  orders 
to  raise  our  train,  and  we  set  forth  on  the  march  at 
half  past  eight,  continuing  west-northwest  along  the 
river  until  we  had  traveled  three  leagues.  We  now 
changed  our  direction  and  left  the  river,  going  west 
and  also  west-southwest.  Following  this  direction 
we  arrived  after  four  o'clock  at  the  presidio  of  Monte 
Rey,  having  traveled  seven  leagues  in  a  little  more 
than  eight  hours.  When  we  arrived  it  was  raining 
heavily,  having  begun  at  eleven  o'clock.^ — From  Tu- 

1  The  march  was  along  the  Salinas  River.  Camp  was  somewhere 
between  Somavia  School  and  Chualar.  The  name  of  Los  Correos 
(where  couriers  were  sent  ahead)  is  preserved  in  Rancho  Guadalupe 
y  Llanetes  de  los  Correos,  which  is  in  that  stretch  along  the  river. 

2  The  river  was  followed  to  a  point  very  near  Spreckels.  Anza 
turned  southwest  essentially  along  the  present  highway  to  Monterey. 
Font  mentions  Buena  Vista  and  El  Toro,  two  names  still  on  the  map 
in  essentially  the  same  locations  as  those  indicated  by  him. 


118     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

bac  to  the  presidio  and  port  of  Monte  Eey,  316% 
leagues. 

From  the  time  of  leaving  my  presidio  until  my 
arrival  here  sixty-two  days'  marches  have  been 
made,  this  being  a  few  less  than  I  estimated  even 
when  I  was  in  Mexico.  In  all  these  days  of  travel  we 
have  had  no  losses  among  the  people  whom  I  have 
conducted  except  the  woman  mentioned  as  having 
died  of  childbirth  on  the  first  night  after  we  set  forth 
from  Tubac.  Other  adversities  experienced  and  re- 
lated herein  are  those  common  to  roads  less  extended 
and  more  open,  and  even  provided  with  everything 
necessary  to  guard  against  mishaps.  The  rain  storm 
continued  until  nightfall. 

Sunday,  March  11. — The  reverend  father  presi- 
dent of  the  missions  of  these  new  establishments 
came  with  three  other  friars  from  the  mission  of 
Carmelo,  which  is  a  league  distant,  to  welcome  me 
and  to  invite  me  to  go  to  the  mission.  With  their  aid 
we  had  the  advantage  of  Mass  and  a  sermon,  given 
by  our  father  chaplain.  Fray  Pedro  Font,  as  an  act 
of  thanksgiving  for  the  successful  arrival  of  the  ex- 
pedition at  this  presidio.  With  great  energy  he 
exhorted  our  people  to  manifest  their  Catholicism 
by  their  exemplary  lives,  as  a  mirror  which  the  piety 
of  his  Majesty  is  sending  to  these  regions  to  convert 
its  heathen,  this  being  the  principal  purpose  for 
which  they  have  been  brought. 

In  the  afternoon  of  this  day  I  went  to  the  mission 
of  Carmelo,  where  I  was  surprised  at  the  large  num- 


ANZA'S  DIARY  119 

ber  of  new  Christians  settled  there,  for  they  exceed 
three  hundred  souls,  whereas  two  years  ago  when  I 
was  at  the  mission  I  did  not  see  a  third  as  many.  I 
have  noted  the  same  thing  in  all  the  missions  which 
I  have  passed  through,  notwithstanding  that  not  all 
of  the  fruit  that  has  been  gathered  exists  in  them 
now,  because  the  missions  have  not  produced  the 
necessary  provisions  to  maintain  them,  for  up  to 
now,  although  the  country  is  very  well  adapted  to  all 
kinds  of  crops,  there  has  not  been  an  opportunity  to 
plant  them.  Nevertheless,  this  year  the  fields  are 
larger;  and  in  proportion  as  crops  abound  the  spir- 
itual conquest  will  increase,  for  the  Indians  are  nu- 
merous, even  if  most  of  them  receive  conversion  and 
faith  by  way  of  the  mouth,  as  they  say  with  good 
reason,  because  they  like  our  grains  and  gifts  of 
other  things  which  they  did  not  have  and  had  never 
heard  of. 

Other  conditions  and  good  qualities  of  all  this 
New  California  I  shall  omit  to  state,  because  this 
has  been  done  in  numerous  accounts  that  are  better 
than  mine.  So  I  conclude  by  saying  that  with  the  ex- 
ception of  minerals,  from  Mexico  to  here,  counting 
both  the  coasts  and  the  interior  districts  and  their 
respective  climates,  I  have  seen  no  other  region  so 
advantageous  as  this  for  the  raising  of  all  kinds  of 
stock,  and  the  production  of  the  principal  grains 
suitable  for  food,  which  is  remarkable,  for  it  pro- 
duces these  as  well  as  most  kinds  of  vegetables.  And 
the  climate  afforded  these  latter  at  the  time  of  trans- 


120     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

planting  them  is  such  that  with  only  this  effort  they 
grow  so  tender  and  large  that  I  have  not  seen  their 
equal  even  among  those  best  cultivated. 

Notable  also  in  this  mission  of  Carmelo  is  the 
great  abundance  of  salmon  which  enter  the  river  to 
spawn.  They  are  so  large  that  I  saw  one  six  palms 
long,  and  with  good  nets  and  not  a  great  deal  of 
labor  it  would  be  possible  to  establish  a  good  com- 
merce in  them.  The  shoals  of  huge  sardines  are  even 
larger  and  very  frequent,  but  to  the  catching  of  these 
and  other  fish  they  have  given  little  attention,  and 
less  care  in  proportion  to  their  abundance,  although 
if  they  had  only  set  to  running  the  launch  which  is 
in  Monte  Rey,  and  asked  for  nets  from  San  Bias, 
they  might  have  seen  themselves  always  abundantly 
supplied  with  fish  and  the  vessels  which  bring  pro- 
visions loaded  with  them. 

Tuesday,  March  12. — I  remained  at  this  mission, 
and  from  here  began  to  make  preparations  to  go 
within  two  days  to  explore  the  port  and  river  of  San 
Francisco. 

Wednesday,  March  13. — At  twelve  o^clock  today 
I  was  suddenly  attacked  by  some  very  severe  and 
sharp  pains  in  the  groin,  the  hip,  the  knee,  and  the 
left  thigh,  which  have  been  so  violent  that  I  could  not 
breathe  and  I  have  thought  I  should  be  suffocated 
and  die.  To  these  ills  some  fever  was  added,  and  I 
got  no  relief  from  the  medicines  possessed  by  the 
presidio  doctor.  Therefore,  after  six  hours  of  tor- 
ment I  resorted  to  a  root  from  my  province  which. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  121 

made  into  a  salve,  reduced  the  pains  by  half,  but  I 
could  not  sleep  at  all  during  the  night,  and  could  lie 
in  only  one  position. 

From  Thursday  to  Tuesday,  March  14,  15,  16,  17, 
18  and  19. — No  relief,  unable  to  rise,  worn-out  with 
fever  and  continually  restless. 

On  Sunday,  March  17,  I  sent  eight  soldiers  of 
the  presidio  of  Monte  Key  to  Commander  Don  Fer- 
nando Rivera,  as  he  requested  me  to  do.  And  because 
the  troops  who  come  assigned  to  the  port  of  San 
Francisco  regret  not  going  immediately  to  their  des- 
tination, since  they  are  numerous  enough,  I  am 
writing  him  to  this  effect,  begging  him,  on  my  part, 
that  he  permit  them  so  to  do,  with  a  view  to  my  re- 
turn and  to  the  exploration  which  I  am  going  to  make 
of  the  port  mentioned.  And  I  am  offering  even  to 
conduct  these  troops  thither  myself  if  he  is  not  able 
to  come  and  do  it  and  cannot  entrust  it  to  the  officer 
who  has  come  for  this  purpose.^ 

Wednesday  and  Thursday,  March  20  and  21. — 
Aided  by  some  medicines  and  assisted  by  other  per- 
sons I  was  able  to  take  a  step. 

1  Moraga. 


A  SITE  FOE  SAN  FRANCISCO 

Friday,  March  22. — Having  had  some  relief,  and 
being  able  to  take  a  few  steps,  I  decided,  although 
against  the  advice  of  the  surgeon,  to  mount  a  horse 
to  continue  my  journey  for  the  exploration  of  the 
port  and  river  of  San  Francisco,  hoping  with  the 
exercise  of  the  road  to  recover  my  health.  For  this 
purpose  they  mounted  me  on  horseback,  and  not  feel- 
ing any  worse  I  made  the  journey  to  Monte  Rey, 
where  I  passed  the  rest  of  the  day  and  the  night. 

Saturday,  March  23. — ^With  Lieutenant  Don  Jo- 
seph Joachin  Moraga,  the  Rev.  Father  Fr.  Pedro 
Font,  and  a  corporal  of  this  presidio  of  Monte  Rey, 
two  other  soldiers  of  this  presidio  and  eight  of  my 
company,  and  equipped  with  provisions  for  twenty 
days,  I  set  forth  from  the  presidio  at  half  past  nine, 
taking  the  same  road,  as  a  better  route  to  the  port  of 
San  Francisco.  Going  to  the  east  for  about  half  a 
league,  and  continuing  to  the  east-northeast  for  four 
more  leagues,  at  the  end  of  this  distance  we  forded 
the  River  of  Monte  Rey.  From  here  we  continued  to 
the  northeast  and  north-northeast  over  a  good  plain 
with  beautiful  pastures  for  about  three  leagues  and 
arrived  at  half  past  three  at  La  Assumpcion,  at  the 
beginning  of  a  canyon  with  some  trees,  having  trav- 


ANZA'S  DIARY  123 

eled  seven  leagues  in  seven  hours.^ — From  Tubac  to 
La  Asuncion,  323%  leagues. 

Sunday,  March  24. — ^At  half  past  seven  we  set 
forth  northeast,  ascending  the  canyon  mentioned, 
and  some  ridges  which  ended  in  a  steep  descent  by 
which  we  came  to  and  passed  the  arroyo  of  San  Be- 
nito, which  has  only  water  enough  for  travelers.  To 
here  we  had  come  two  leagues.  We  now  turned  to 
the  north-northwest  with  considerable  turns  to  the 
northwest,  through  a  spacious  plain,  until  we  had 
gone  about  six  more  leagues,  arriving  at  half  past 
three  at  the  site  of  San  Bernardino  and  also  that  of 
Las  Llagas,  having  traveled  eight  leagues  in  eight 
hours.   Here  we  camped  for  the  night.^ 

About  two  leagues  before  reaching  this  place, 
near  a  water  course  which  we  passed,  we  saw  a  vil- 
lage of  seventeen  huts,  three  of  whose  heathen  inhab- 
itants came  to  make  us  a  present  of  an  equal  number 
of  fish,  for  which  we  gave  them  compensation.  A 
league  and  a  half  farther  on  there  came  to  us  twenty- 
two  natives,  of  more  than  seventy  persons  of  both 
sexes  who  were  out  hunting.  These  unfortunates  had 
nothing  more  to  offer  us  than  the  few  arrows  of  the 

1  The  route  to  the  river  was  considerably  west  of  the  highway  to 
the  Salinas  thence  to  the  vicinity  of  Sugar  Loaf  Mountain.  La 
Natividad  is  the  name  of  a  settlement  and  a  rancho  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

2  They  crossed  the  Gabilan  Range,  descended  to  the  site  of  Mission 
San  Juan  Bautista,  skirted  the  west  side  of  San  Benito  Valley,  crossed 
Pajaro  River  near  Sargent,  and  skirted  the  west  side  of  Gilroy  Valley. 
Camp  was  on  Llagas  Creek,  to  which  they  dropped  down  after  cross- 
ing the  spur  of  hills  northwest  of  San  Martin.  Font  gives  the  con- 
clusive data. 


124     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

kind  which  they  use,  and  though  we  did  not  accept 
them  we  gave  them  our  usual  presents.  We  have 
noted  here  that  in  the  place  where  the  last  Mass  was 
said^  when  our  people  traveled  through  here,  the 
trees  where  they  nailed  and  set  up  the  altar  are  now 
full  of  arrows,  decorated  with  colored  feathers  and 
hung  with  some  little  bags  of  food,  now  decayed, 
which  indicates  the  acknowledgment  which  these 
heathen  render.  We  do  not  know  to  whom  it  is  of- 
fered, but  with  others  of  whom  I  have  some  knowl- 
edge it  is  usually  to  the  immortality  of  their  own 
people,  although  confused  and  very  different  from 
real  immortality.  This  site  might  serve  in  the  future 
as  a  place  for  a  settlement,  for  it  does  not  lack  a  fair 
amount  of  land  and  water  for  crops,  and  timber  and 
firewood  are  to  be  had  in  abundance  close  by. — From 
Tubac  to  San  Bernardino,  3311/2  leagues. 

Monday,  March  25. — A  little  before  eight  o^clock 
we  set  forth  along  the  edge  of  some  low  hills  on  the 
left,  which  run  to  the  northwest  for  a  little  more  than 
three  leagues.  Having  passed  these  we  entered  a 
spacious  plain  with  many  oaks  and  live  oaks.  After 
traveling  a  short  distance  in  the  plain  we  turned  to 
the  west-northwest,  and  then  began  to  meet  many 
heathen,  who  went  notifying  those  ahead,  greedy  for 
the  glass  beads  which  I  gave  them.  With  such  a  com- 
pany as  this  we  continued  for  about  a  league  and  a 
half,  after  which  they  left  us.  Continuing  our  route 
in  the  same  direction  for  about  three  leagues  and  a 
half,  we  turned  to  the  west,  going  close  to  some  small 

1  By  Palou  in  1774. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  125 

hills  at  our  left,  and  arrived  at  the  arroyo  of  San 
Joseph  Cupertino,  which  is  useful  only  for  travelers. 
Here  we  halted  for  the  night,  having  come  eight 
leagues  in  seven  and  a  half  hours.  From  this  place 
we  have  seen  at  our  right  the  estuary  which  runs 
from  the  port  of  San  Francisco.  In  order  to  get 
around  it  to  see  the  great  river  of  the  same  name  we 
shall  have  to  return  to  this  place  or  go  even  farther 
back.^ — From  Tubac  to  San  Joseph  Cupertino,  339% 
leagues. 

Tuesday,  March  26. — At  half  past  seven  we  set 
forth  to  the  northwest,  crossing  three  arroyos  with 
a  small  amount  of  water.  The  fourth,  which  we  came 
to  after  having  traveled  a  little  less  than  four  leagues, 
was  the  arroyo  of  San  Francisco.  It  was  proposed 
and  marked  for  a  mission,^  as  is  shown  by  a  cross, 
but  subsequently  it  has  been  found  that  it  is  not  suit- 
able for  the  purpose  because  it  lacks  water  in  the 
dry  season.  This  is  too  bad,  for  it  certainly  has  all 
the  other  advantages  that  might  be  desired,  such  as 
an  abundance  of  heathen,  good  land  for  crops,  plen- 
tiful and  choice  timber  near  by,  and  other  things 
which  make  it  desirable.  At  this  arroyo  we  found 
a  village  of  about  twenty  huts  whose  inhabitants 
were  given  presents  of  glass  beads. 

1  From  Llagas  Creek  they  continued  north-northwest  to  the  gap 
near  Coyote,  then  swung  west-northwest  along  the  northern  skirts 
of  the  Santa  Teresa  Hills.  Camp  was  evidently  on  Calabasas  Creek, 
near  the  hills,  some  two  miles  north  of  Saratoga,  or  possibly  on  Camp- 
bell Creek  right  at  Saratoga.  Cupertino  preserves  the  name,  but  is 
farther  out  in  the  plain  than  was  the  site  of  the  camp. 

2  By  Palou,  during  his  expedition  in  1774. 


126     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Continuing  our  route  from  here,  and  going  in 
general  to  the  west-northwest,  although  the  turns 
which  we  made  in  the  first  direction  were  small  and 
almost  negligible,^  we  passed  by  two  other  villages 
to  whom  we  made  the  same  gifts.  Here  ends  the 
abundance  of  oaks,  live  oaks  and  other  trees  which 
we  have  had  on  all  sides  on  the  way  from  San  Ber- 
nardino. Leaving  these  villages  and  continuing  on 
our  way,  we  came  upon  two  others,  the  second  one 
being  on  the  arroyo  of  San  Matheo.  From  here  we 
passed  on  to  another,  distant  about  half  a  league, 
and  here  at  half  past  three  we  halted  for  the  night, 
having  traveled  for  eight  hours  and  covered  about 
eight  leagues.  All  these  arroyos  mentioned  today, 
and  a  larger  number  which  have  been  passed  dry 
shod,  we  have  found  grown  with  many  tall  and  thick 
laurels  of  extraordinary  and  most  fragrant  scent.^ — 
From  Tubac  to  the  arroyo  of  San  Matheo,  347V2 
leagues. 

Wednesday,  March  27. — A  little  before  seven  we 
set  forth  on  the  march,  going  in  the  main  to  the 
northwest,  whereby  we  arrived  at  half  past  ten  at 
the  mouth  of  the  port  of  San  Francisco.  Here  we 
halted  on  the  banks  of  a  lake^  which  until  today  has 

1  Pequenas  hasta  parar. 

2  Camp  was  northwest  of  San  Mateo,  near  Hoyt  School.  Arroyo 
de  San  Francisco  is  now  San  Francisquito  Creek,  which  was  crossed 
northwest  of  Palo  Alto.    Arroyo  San  Mateo  is  now  San  Mateo  Creek. 

3  Camp  was  at  Mountain  Lake  on  the  south  edge  of  the  presidio 
grounds.  Anza's  leagues  are  long.  Font  gives  the  distance  as  six 
leagues.  By  air  line  it  was  about  seventeen  miles.  The  route  lay  for 
ten   miles   straight   north-northwest  past   the   Cemeteries,   to   Colma, 


ANZA'S  DIARY  127 

been  regarded  as  a  lagoon,  because  its  outlet  into  the 
sea  had  not  been  seen,  but  it  has  a  stream  sufficient 
for  a  mill.  Here  we  concluded  a  march  of  about  four 
leagues  made  in  three  and  a  half  hours.  Although, 
as  I  have  said,  we  halted  at  the  lake  mentioned,  as 
soon  as  our  baggage  was  unloaded  I  went  to  inspect 
the  neighborhood  of  the  mouth,  going  west  and  south 
in  order  to  see  if  there  are  any  conveniences  for  the 
establishment  of  the  fort.  In  this  pursuit  I  employed 
the  time  from  the  hour  mentioned  until  five,  when  I 
returned.  The  advantages  of  the  site  which  I  have 
noted  are  running  water  of  good  quality  and  of  the 
quantity  already  expressed,  to  which  are  added  other 
streams  nearby  in  the  same  directions,  much  fire- 
wood and  good  pasturage,  sufficient  and  even  in 
superabundance  for  pasturing  cattle.  But  along  with 
these  good  qualities  one  must  mention  the  lack  of 
timber,  for  in  the  district  examined  there  is  none 
even  for  barracks,  but  I  shall  continue  to  look  for 
some  tomorrow  in  the  remaining  directions. — From 
Tubac  to  the  port  of  San  Francisco,  351%  leagues. 
Thursday,  March  28. — I  went  to  the  narrowest 
opening  made  by  the  mouth  of  the  port,  where  no- 
body had  been  before.^  There  I  set  up  a  cross,  and 
at  its  foot  I  buried  under  the  ground  a  notice  of  what 
I  have  seen,  in  order  that  it  may  serve  as  a  guide  to 
any  vessels  that  may  enter,  as  well  as  a  report  of 

then  some  seven  or  eight  miles  nearly  straight  north  to  Mountain 
Lake.  Font  tells  us  they  saw  a  lake  (Merced)  at  their  left,  and  did 
not  go  to  the  coast. 

1  Eivera  and  Palou  had  only  reached  Point  Lobos. 


128     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

what  I  am  going  on  to  explore  in  order  to  establish 
the  fort  belonging  to  this  harbor. 

This  done,  I  continued  exploring  the  country  on 
the  shore  of  the  harbor  to  the  east  and  east-south- 
east. Very  soon  after  leaving  the  site  of  our  camp  I 
began  to  find  running  water,  an  infinite  supply  of 
firewood,  timber  for  barracks,  mostly  of  oak,  both 
green  and  dry  and  of  good  thickness,  but  bent  toward 
the  ground  because  of  the  constant  northwest  winds 
on  this  coast.  Likewise,  after  continuing  to  the  south- 
east a  league  and  a  half  along  the  coast  of  the  estu- 
ary,^ I  found  a  good  site  for  planting  crops  with 
irrigation  by  taking  the  water  from  a  good  spring  or 
fountain,  even  though  it  should  diminish  to  half  the 
volume  which  is  running  now  above  the  site.  And 
since  a  little  more  than  half  a  league  to  the  east  of 
the  camp  there  is  a  very  large  lake^  which  cannot  be 
anything  less  than  permanent  at  all  seasons,  and 
which  is  running  at  present,  either  because  its  foun- 
tain is  perpetual  or  because  it  has  a  spring  now, 
whichever  the  case  may  be,  with  a  week^s  labor 
and  with  a  stockade  and  an  earthen  embankment 
it  could  be  made  extremely  abundant.  It  does  not 
have  any  land  which  could  be  irrigated,  because  the 
tide  of  the  sea  overflows  the  lowlands  there,  but  on 
the  banks  of  the  lake  good  gardens  can  be  planted, 
for  it  is  already  known  that  the  climate  is  good,  and 
that  the  crops  grow  with  less  moisture  because  of 

1  He  evidently  reached  Dolores  Creek. 

2  This  lake  seems  to  have  been  in  the  flat  northeast  of  Mountain 
Lake,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Marina. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  129 

the  heavy  fogs  which  fall  almost  every  night,  and 
of  the  cloudy  days,  which  are  many  in  the  course 
of  a  year,  and  even  the  majority,  it  may  be  said. 

In  the  district  which  I  have  examined  today  and 
from  which  I  returned  at  ^ve  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, I  have  also  encountered  numerous  and  docile 
heathen,  who  have  accompanied  me  with  great  pleas- 
ure but  without  going  a  step  outside  of  their  respec- 
tive territories,  because  of  the  enmity  which  is  com- 
mon among  them. 

Friday,  March  29. — At  a  quarter  past  seven  I 
packed  up  our  equipage  and  sent  it  back  by  the  same 
route  over  which  we  had  come,  with  orders  to  await 
me  at  the  arroyo  of  San  Matheo.  Then,  with  a  party 
of  five  soldiers  and  my  father  chaplain,  I  continued 
to  explore  the  district  which  I  had  not  covered  to  the 
southeast,  and  the  region  which  overlooks  the  estu- 
ary that  runs  to  the  south  and  inland  from  the  port. 
I  again  went  to  the  lake  with  the  spring  which  I  men- 
tioned yesterday,  and  likewise  to  the  spring  which  I 
called  Los  Dolores.^  About  half  a  league  from  here, 
to  the  southeast,  there  is  a  wide  and  long  valley  with 
plentiful  moisture  where  more  than  a  hundred  and 
twenty  f  anegas  of  wheat  can  be  sown.^  There  is  also 
a  little  spring  of  good  drinking  water  which  appears 
not  to  dry  up,  because  it  has  a  good-sized  village 
which  also  enjoys  a  plentiful  supply  of  firewood. 
From  here  forward  and  until  I  again  struck  the  road 
which  I  followed  in  coming  there  is  nothing  note- 

1  Mission  San  Francisco   (Dolores)   was  later  founded  here. 

2  This  was  apparently  in  the  same  valley  as  Dolores. 


130     THE  SAN  PKANCISCO  COLONY 

worthy.  But  the  exploration  that  has  been  made  on 
this  occasion,  in  the  region  where  it  was  prognosti- 
cated that  there  would  be  the  same  sterility  as  at  the 
west  of  our  port  mentioned,  shows  that  this  region, 
with  the  exception  of  what  relates  to  timber  for  large 
beams,  is  not  only  fertile  but  extremely  so. 

Therefore,  this  presidio  and  fort  will  have  an 
abundance  and  variety  of  water,  firewood,  and  build- 
ing stone.  It  will  not  lack  a  place  in  which  to  plant 
good  fields,  although  somewhat  distant,  nor  pastures 
for  cattle  without  equal  in  quality  and  abundance. 
And  besides  enjoying  these  fine  advantages,  of  which 
those  who  have  formerly  come  as  far  as  the  mouth 
of  the  port  have  not  even  had  hopes,  it  will  enjoy 
even  more  if  established  at  the  place  already  men- 
tioned, where  it  is  narrowest,  to  mark  which  I  am 
leaving  erected  a  cross,  as  I  indicated  on  the  28th.^ 
From  this  place  or  point  to  the  opposite  point  we 
estimate  the  distance  to  be  a  quarter  of  a  league,  for 
it  must  be  this  wide,  more  or  less,  as  is  shown  by  the 
maps  which  must  have  been  presented  by  the  oflScers 
of  the  marine  who  have  entered  it  to  explore,  and  as 
also  will  be  seen  from  our  own  map.^ 

A  short  time  after  I  reached  the  road  by  which 
we  came  I  left  it  at  my  left,  with  the  intention  of  ex- 
ploring the  valley  of  San  Andres  and  the  lake  of 
Merced,^  and  other  places  intermediate  between  the 
coast  and  the  estuary,  notwithstanding  that  others 
have  done  this  at  more  favorable  times  and  have  re- 

1  At  Fort  Point.  2  Made  by  Father  Font. 

3  He   means   the   small    lake   southwest   of   Baden   Station   which 
Rivera  and  Palou  called  Merced. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  131 

ported  their  explorations  to  his  Excellency.  For  this 
reason  I  omit  relating  them  in  detail,  saying  only 
that  this  valley  has  all  the  favorable  circumstances 
required  for  the  establishment  of  a  mission,  which 
would  have  the  advantage  of  plentiful  crops,  both 
seasonal  and  with  irrigation,  as  well  as  plenty  of 
heathen,  and  would  serve  as  a  way-station  between 
Monte  Rey  and  the  port  of  San  Francisco.^ 

From  this  valley,  which  is  distant  about  four  and 
a  half  leagues  from  the  port,  there  can  be  taken  to  it 
on  mules,  since  in  these  establishments  there  are  as 
yet  no  oxen,  all  the  timber,  both  of  pine  and  red- 
wood as  they  call  it  here,  as  well  as  live  oak,  cotton- 
wood,  and  willow,  which  may  be  needed  for  building, 
for  it  abounds  in  all  of  these,  and  the  country  being 
level  as  far  as  the  port  would  aid  in  this.  Therefore 
it  appears  to  me  that  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  oc- 
cupying this  most  famous  port  at  the  place  where  it 
ought  to  be  occupied.  Moreover,  any  other  place 
where  the  establishment  of  the  garrison  which  ought 
to  protect  it  might  be  effected,  is  distant  for  the  pur- 
pose and  very  unhandy. 

Night  having  fallen,  at  a  quarter  past  six  I  went 
down  to  the  arroyo  of  San  Andres  and  to  another, 
that  of  San  Matheo,  where  it  descends  to  empty 
into  the  estuary.^    There  I  found  in  our  camp  nearly 

1  Palou  and  Eivera  explored  the  San  Andres  Valley  in  1774. 

2  Font 's  map  shows  that  on  this  day  Anza  went  northeast  from 
Mountain  Lake  to  the  beach  near  the  Marina,  then  clear  around  the 
beach  and  up  Islais  Creek  to  Colma.  From  here  he  crossed  the  ridge 
southwest  to  San  Andres  Lake,  descended  San  Andres  Valley,  appar- 
ently to  a  point  a  little  south  of  Almshouse  Canyon,  then  returned 
north  to  camp  on  San  Mateo  Creek. 


132     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

all  the  men  of  the  village,  very  friendly,  content,  and 
joyful,  putting  themselves  out  to  serve  us  in  every 
way,  a  circumstance  which  I  have  noted  in  all  the 
natives  seen  from  the  26th  up  to  now,  but  one  which 
I  had  not  experienced  theretofore  since  leaving  the 
people  of  the  Colorado  Eiver.  These  whom  I  am 
speaking  of  now  are  poorer  and  more  miserable  than 
those  others,  but  because  they  have  been  described 
by  others  who  have  dealt  with  them  before  me,  I  re- 
frain from  speaking  of  their  characteristics.  This 
afternoon  it  rained  for  about  an  hour  and  a  half, 
although  not  very  heavily.  The  same  afternoon  we 
succeeded  in  killing  with  bullets  a  monstrous  bear 
which  came  out  upon  our  road,  whose  very  fat  flesh 
was  taken  advantage  of  by  those  who  like  it.^ — 
From  Tubac,  returning  from  the  port  of  San  Fran- 
cisco to  the  arroyo  of  San  Matheo,  355%  leagues. 

1  This  bear  was  killed  in  the  vicinity  of  Crystal  Springs  Lake. 
(See  Font.) 


AROUND  THE  BAY 

Saturday,  March  30. — At  half  past  two  in  the 
morning  a  fairly  heavy  rain  fell  and  lasted  until 
three,  and  at  a  quarter  past  seven  we  raised  our 
camp  with  the  purpose  of  continuing  our  route  to 
the  San  Francisco  River.  With  this  in  view  we  re- 
traced for  some  distance  the  trail  by  which  we  had 
come,  continuing  to  the  east-southeast  for  about  three 
and  a  half  leagues,  until  we  crossed  the  arroyo  of 
San  Francisco.  Here  we  left  the  road  and  directed 
our  march  to  encircle  the  southern  estuary,  over  a 
route  which  hitherto  had  not  been  followed  in  going 
around  it,  in  order  to  see  if  we  might  save  the  great 
detour  which  they  have  formerly  made.  For  this 
purpose  we  turned  east-southeast,^  and  having  trav- 
eled about  a  league  after  leaving  the  arroyo  of  San 
Francisco,  we  discovered  three  springs  or  creeks  of 
abundant  water  which  run  to  empty  into  the  estuary. 
Half  a  league  further  on  we  came  to  another,  and 
near  it  a  settlement  of  about  a  hundred  heathen,  to 
whom  I  gave  presents.^  Then,  going  about  another 
league  and  a  half  we  came  to  a  large  arroyo  or  fair- 
sized  river,  where  with  difficulty  we  found  a  ford. 

1  Past  Palo  Alto. 

2  These  were  Madera,  San  Antonio,  Permanente  and  Stevens 
creeks.  This  village  would  be  on  Stevens  Creek,  near  Mountain  View, 
perhaps  north  of  it.  The  route  was  an  are  from  Palo  Alto,  nearly 
through  Mountain  View  to  the  vicinity  of  Agnews,  where  camp  was 
made.     The  river  crossed  was  the  Guadalupe. 


134     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Having  crossed  it,  at  four  o  'clock  we  halted  for  the 
night  on  its  banks,  partly  because  it  had  been  raining 
and  partly  because  it  was  threatening  to  rain  harder, 
having  traveled  to  here  about  six  leagues  and  a  half 
in  about  eight  hours. 

To  this  arroyo  or  river  we  gave  the  name  of 
Guadalupe.  It  has  abundant  and  good  timber  of  Cot- 
tonwood, ash,  willow,  and  other  kinds.  In  all  direc- 
tions there  is  a  great  abundance  of  firewood,  and 
likewise  agricultural  lands  for  raising  crops  by 
natural  humidity,  or  by  irrigation  if  the  river  is  per- 
manent, as  we  conjecture,  in  which  case  it  would 
make  possible  a  large  settlement.  The  estuary  does 
not  reach  to  the  regi/on  through  which  we  have  passed, 
as  was  supposed,  and  for  this  reason  we  have  saved 
about  a  day  and  a  half's  travel  which  has  been  lost 
by  all  those  who  formerly  have  tried  to  go  to  the  San 
Francisco  River.  In  the  place  where  we  are  camped 
there  are  three  good-sized  villages,  each  about  as 
large  as  the  last  one  mentioned,  composed  of  people 
like  the  foregoing,  and  by  whom,  according  to  the 
paths  and  trails,  the  region  upstream  appears  to  be 
populated. 

Today  we  measured  a  red  pine  tree  of  the  kind 
which  abound  in  the  sierra  nearby  to  the  west,  and 
although  this  tree  was  away  from  the  center  of  the 
mountains,  for  it  stands  on  the  arroyo  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, it  was  found  to  be  fifty-six  and  a  half  varas 
high  and  five  and  a  half  varas  in  circumference.^ — 
From  Tubac  to  the  Guadalupe  River,  362  leagues. 

1  This  was  the  palo  alto  still  standing  at  Palo  Alto. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  135 

Sunday,  March  31. — Today  dawned  fair,  and  at 
eight  o'clock  we  set  forth  on  the  march.  Having 
traveled  about  a  league  to  the  north-northwest  we 
came  to  a  narrow  arm  of  the  estuary  which  we  sup- 
posed was  the  end,  but  as  it  prevented  our  passage 
because  it  was  so  miry  we  had  to  go  back  that  far  to 
the  real  terminus  of  the  arm  mentioned,  at  the  mouth 
of  an  arroyo  which  the  soldiers  from  Monte  Eey 
think  is  the  one  which  they  call  Arroyo  del  Coyote.^ 
This  enabled  us  to  see  several  villages  of  heathen 
near  the  place  where  we  left  the  mouth  of  the  arroyo 
mentioned.  We  continued  our  route  to  the  north  for 
about  two  leagues,^  when  we  came  to  the  road  which 
on  other  occasions  they  have  taken  to  the  river  to- 
ward which  we  are  going.  The  road  runs  close  to  a 
small  range  completely  bare  of  trees,  for  none  are 
seen  except  some  which  grow  in  the  canyons.  We 
followed  the  first  one,  which  has  plenty  of  trees  and 
has  water  in  abundance  until  it  joins  the  estuary. 
From  this  arroyo  we  turned  to  the  northwest.  Con- 
tinuing in  this  direction  we  crossed  four  arroyos 
with  little  water,  and  at  a  quarter  to  four  in  the 
afternoon  we  halted  for  the  night  at  the  last  one, 
having  traveled  about  seven  leagues  in  a  little  less 
than  seven  hours. 

Today  in  passing  we  have  seen  six  villages,  whose 
inhabitants,  not  accustomed  to  seeing  us,  fled  like 

1  They  apparently  went  nearly  north  along  the  line  of  the  South- 
ern Pacific  Eailroad,  to  Coyote  River,  then  had  to  swing  east  to  the 
bend  in  Coyote  River  where  it  turns  west. 

2  This  would  take  them  about  to  Mission  San  Jose. 


136     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

wild  beasts.  Notwithstanding  this,  about  forty  hea- 
then have  come  close  to  us  and  I  have  given  them 
presents.  The  last  one  whom  we  encountered  discov- 
ered us  about  forty  paces  away,  and  although  less 
than  five  steps  from  where  he  was  there  was  a  place 
where  he  might  have  hidden,  such  was  his  terror 
that  he  lay  down  in  his  tracks,  or  rather  I  think  that 
he  involuntarily  fell  down  through  fright.  Since  he 
and  we  were  on  the  same  trail,  I  reached  the  place 
where  he  was  lying  prone  more  dead  than  alive,  with- 
out any  particular  movement  of  lips  or  limbs.  I  tried 
to  relieve  his  fright  and  to  get  him  to  stand  up,  but 
for  a  long  time  I  was  unable  to  succeed,  for  he  had 
courage  enough  only  to  take  weakly  some  glass  beads, 
most  of  which  he  let  fall.  Seeing  this,  I  thought  it 
best  to  leave  the  unfortunate  fellow  alone,  and  if  I 
had  not  done  so  I  think  he  would  have  died.  We  at- 
tribute this  spasm  to  the  fact  that  up  to  that  moment 
he  had  never  had  even  a  remote  notice  of  us  or  of  any 
people  other  than  those  of  his  own  kind.  The  Indians 
who  have  been  seen  from  the  first  arroyo  forward 
are  not  short  haired  like  those  from  the  mission  of 
San  Antonio  to  the  port  of  San  Francisco.  These  of 
which  we  are  now  speaking  wear  their  hair  tied  up 
on  the  very  top  of  their  heads  where  only  a  piece  of 
thread  is  to  be  seen.^ — From  Tubac  to  Arroyo  de  la 
Arina,  369  leagues. 

1  Arroyo  de  la  Arina  was  San  Lorenzo  Creek.  Font 's  map  shows 
Fruitvale  Creek,  at  Mills  College,  coming  in  at  the  head  of  San 
Leandro  Bay,  and  another  arroyo  (San  Leandro)  between  it  and 
Arroyo  de  la  Arina.  It  shows  that  the  line  of  march  was  well  inland, 
close  to  the  hills. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  137 

Monday,  April  1. — At  seven  o^clock  we  set  forth 
on  the  march  continuing  northwest  along  the  sierra 
mentioned,  and  having  traveled  about  two  and  a  half 
leagues  and  crossed  two  arroyos  with  a  little  water 
and  a  growth  of  trees  which  reaches  to  the  shores 
of  the  southern  estuary,  we  came  abreast  of  a  large 
grove  of  pines  or  redwoods,^  and  after  about  another 
league  and  a  half  of  travel  we  found  ourselves  in 
front  of  the  mouth  of  the  port  of  San  Francisco.  We 
saw  distinctly  the  two  points  which  form  it,  and 
farther  inland,  and  as  a  result  we  concluded  that  the 
estuary  is  not  five  leagues  wide,  as  they  have  sup- 
posed. Indeed,  I  think  that  it  would  be  scarcely  four 
leagues. 

From  the  last  site  mentioned  we  continued  north- 
northwest,  over  some  hills,  to  cross  which  we  must 
have  gone  about  half  a  league.  From  them  we  de- 
scended to  some  plains  two  leagues  wide,  whence  we 
saw  the  interior  islands  of  the  port,  and  observed 
that  in  front  of  the  beginning  of  these  hills  the  north- 
ern estuary  continues  to  the  north.  Having  com- 
pleted this  plain  we  climbed  other  hills  from  which 
we  descended  to  a  deep  arroyo,  without  much  water 
or  many  trees,  where  we  found  a  village  of  about  a 
hundred  persons,  to  whom  I  gave  the  customary 
gifts.  From  here  we  continued  over  other  hills,  go- 
ing part  of  the  time  to  the  north  and  part  to  the 

1  When  abreast  of  the  grove  of  redwoods  they  were  about  at 
Mills  College.  Five  miles  beyond,  near  Lake  Merritt,  they  were  in 
front  of  the  Golden  Gate.  They  crossed  the  hills  from  Lake  Merritt 
to  the  vicinity  of  the  Technical  High  School. 


138     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

northeast,  keeping  close  to  the  coast  of  the  estuary, 
and  having  traveled  about  another  league  we  came 
to  another  village  like  the  foregoing.  From  here, 
continuing  in  the  same  way  over  hills  and  along  the 
coast  for  still  another  league,  we  halted  at  a  quarter 
past  four  in  the  afternoon  to  camp  for  the  night  in 
a  little  valley  with  stagnant  water  and  very  little 
firewood,  having  traveled  about  ten  leagues  in  as 
many  hours/ — From  Tubac  to  the  neighborhood  of 
the  river  commonly  called  San  Francisco,  and  its  dis- 
emboguement  into  this  port,  379  leagues. 

Where  we  are  camped  we  are  very  close  to  the 
place  where  the  Rio  de  San  Francisco  empties  into 
the  harbor  of  the  same  name,  and  near  a  village  that 
is  larger  than  the  two  mentioned,  judging  from  the 
number  of  men  who  have  assembled  to  see  us.  Among 
these  and  all  the  persons  of  their  class  whom  we  have 
carefully  observed  today,  we  have  not  noticed  any 
one  with  white  or  pink  skin  such  as  apparently  were 
seen  during  the  first  journey  through  this  region.^ 
Indeed,  in  color  and  hair  they  are  not  different  from 
those  seen  hitherto.  Those  along  the  Channel  of 
Santa  Barbara  and  especially  on  the  Colorado  River 
are  fairer  than  these,  and  these  here  have  sparser 
beards  than  those  on  the  other  side  of  the  estuary. 
But  the  reports  which  they  give  of  their  generosity 

1  The  plain  which  they  crossed  extended  through  Oakland,  Berke- 
ley, Albany,  Kichmond  and  San  Pablo.  The  deep  arroyo  to  which 
they  descended  was  evidently  Wildcat  Creek.  Camp  was  six  miles 
beyond  at  Rodeo  Creek. 

2  This  reference  is  to  the  statements  of  Crespi  and  Fages. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  139 

we  have  seen  verified,  for  they  have  given  us  two 
kinds  of  cooked  roots  of  the  sorts  they  use/  Like- 
wise, their  language  is  different  from  that  on  the 
other  side  of  the  southern  estuary,  and  they  wear 
their  hair  long  and  tied  up  on  the  top  of  their  heads, 
as  was  observed  among  those  of  yesterday ;  and  they 
are  all  equally  poor. 

The  sites  which  we  have  passed  yesterday  and 
today,  are  provided  with  water,  it  is  true,  but  ex- 
cepting that  of  Guadalupe,  both  the  sites  and  the 
water  are  very  different  from  what  was  said  of  them 
in  the  first  expedition,  and  I  do  not  consider  any  one 
of  the  places  suitable  for  a  settlement,  or  that  any 
one  would  be  adapted  to  irrigation  on  even  a  small 
scale.  Indeed,  besides  the  scarcity  of  water,  the 
arroyos  are  very  deep.  They  have  very  little  high- 
land, and  the  lowlands  generally  are  flooded  by  the 
tides.  It  might  be  that  if  the  interiors  of  the  valleys 
were  explored  they  would  be  found  useful  for  the 
purpose,  and,  notwithstanding  what  has  been  said, 
the  fields  are  as  green  with  grass  and  as  thickly 
covered  with  various  wild  flowers  as  those  farther 
back.  The  march  all  day  has  been  very  painful 
because  of  the  sancudo  fly,  which  is  as  plentiful  here 
as  on  the  coasts  of  the  Tierra  Caliente.^  About  half 
way  on  the  road  today  we  saw  one  of  those  deer 
eight  spans  high  which  are  found  along  here,  but 
although  the  soldiers  chased  it  they  were  not  able 
to  overtake  it. 

1  Font  gives  details  here. 

2  The  hot  regions  of  Mexico  are  called  Tierra  Caliente. 


140     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Tuesday,  April  2. — At  a  quarter  past  seven  we 
broke  camp  to  continue  our  journey,  which  we  began 
by  going  east  over  some  hills,  and  at  less  than  a 
quarter  of  a  league  we  came  to  a  village  of  about  ^ve 
hundred  souls,^  from  which  a  little  before  we  set  out 
ten  heathen  came  adorned  with  plumes  and  garlands 
of  flowers  to  invite  us  to  pass  through  their  settle- 
ment. They  came  to  our  camp  singing,  and  in  the 
same  way  they  continued  to  their  village,  from  which 
all  the  people  came  out  to  welcome  us,  following  with 
some  order  three  singers,  who  placed  in  the  tops  of 
the  trees  three  bunches  of  feathers  and  some  strings 
of  feathers  of  various  colors,  which  were  moved  and 
raised  up  by  the  wind.  Both  sexes  danced  and  gave 
presents  of  their  edibles.  This  gift  and  the  former 
one  I  repaid  by  giving  glass  beads  to  big  and  little, 
with  which  they  were  pleased. 

From  this  village  we  continued  over  hills  which 
from  here  forward  were  higher  and  steeper,  until  a 
league  was  passed,  when  we  descended  to  the  junc- 
tion of  the  river  and  the  estuary,  where  we  halted  to 
take  the  latitude.^  Having  noted  with  careful  atten- 
tion the  distance  of  this  river,  and  its  width  where  it 
empties  into  the  estuary,  we  concluded  that  it  is  not 
a  quarter  of  a  league  wide.  It  is  so  quiet  that  we  saw 
no  movement  in  a  little  raft  of  tule  on  which  two 
heathen  were  fishing.  On  similar  rafts  five  others 
crossed  from  this  side  of  the  river  to  the  other  in 

1  This  village  was  at  Tormey. 

2  The  stop  was  made  above  Selby,  and  a  short  distance  below 
the  Carquinez  Bridge. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  141 

less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  We  measured  some 
poles  with  which  in  the  middle  of  the  river  they  had 
anchored  the  raft  which  was  fishing,  and  they  were 
thirteen  varas  long,  from  which  the  depth  may  be 
inferred. 

While  waiting  for  the  hour  to  make  the  observa- 
tion and  to  march  I  carefully  explored  the  bank  of 
this  river,  because  I  was  struck  by  the  fact  that  I 
did  not  see  any  flotsam  or  trees  on  it  as  I  have  noted 
in  all  the  rivers  that  I  have  seen.  And  besides,  I  ob- 
served that  there  is  a  rise  above  the  present  water  of 
only  about  two  or  three  varas  at  the  top  of  which 
there  is  a  deposit  of  fresh  water  mussel  shells.  In 
my  care  I  charged  everybody  to  tell  me  if  they  noted 
whether  there  might  be  a  higher  rise,  and  if  they  saw 
any  debris  which  the  water  would  naturally  cast  off, 
but  during  the  whole  day  nothing  more  was  noted 
than  what  has  been  stated  and  that  the  water  is 
unfit  for  drinking  because  it  is  so  salty. 

Having  made  our  observation  and  mapped  the 
mouth,  with  the  island  which  is  in  it,^  we  continued 
our  march,  going  east  and  east-northeast  for  about 
a  league  over  some  high  hills,  because  the  bank  of 
the  river  afforded  no  passage,  after  which  we  con- 
tinued another  league  east-southeast  and  southeast. 
After  going  two  leagues  along  the  river  one  sees  to 
the  north,  on  the  other  side  of  it,  a  sierra  very  thickly 
covered  with  snow  which  must  be  thirty  or  forty 
leagues  away.^  From  here  we  saw  that  the  river 
begins  to  widen  to  about  half  a  league;  and  going 

1  Mare  Island.  2  Mt.  St.  Helena? 


142     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

forward  in  addition  to  the  leagues  mentioned  a  little 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  league  over  land  more  dis- 
tant, in  order  to  escape  the  marshes,  we  traveled 
about  two  more  leagues  to  the  southeast,  with  some 
small  turns  to  the  south,  and  at  five  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  we  halted  in  order  to  pass  the  night  at  an 
arroyo  of  salty  water  in  pools  which  on  the  first 
journey  they  called  Santa  Angela  de  Fulgino,  having 
traveled  five  leagues  in  as  many  hours. — From 
Tubac  to  Santa  Angela  de  Fulgino,  384  leagues/ 

For  half  a  league  up  the  river  we  kept  very  close 
to  the  sierra  which  we  have  had  on  our  right  and 
which  we  skirted  until  yesterday.  And  we  now  again 
came  to  have  it  on  the  same  side,  so  improved  in 
abundance  of  firewood,  and  timber  of  oak  and  live 
oak,  that  all  its  canyons  are  well  provided  with  one 
and  the  other,  the  very  opposite  of  what  is  seen  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  where  in  four  leagues  we 
have  not  seen  a  single  tree.^ 

During  the  halt  which  we  made  before  noon  the 
heathen,  whom  we  have  already  said  were  fishing, 
sold  us  a  fish  two  and  one-eighth  varas  long,  unknown 
to  everybody  and  entirely  lacking  in  scales  or  inte- 
rior bones,  for  the  only  bones  it  had  were  those  of 
the  head,  and  between  the  skin  and  the  flesh  there 
were  some  very  perfect  stars  painted  on  the  skull  as 
if  with  dots.    In  place  of  cartilage  and  other  bony 

1  They  followed  the  strait  to  Martinez,  then  turned  eastward 
along  the  highway  to  Pacheco,  where  camp  was  made  on  Walnut 
Creek.  From  Selby  to  this  place  it  is  just  fifteen  miles  by  auto- 
mobile. 

2  On  the  north  shore  of  Oarquinez  Strait. 


ANZA^S  DIARY  143 

substances  they  had  some  nerves  or  tendons.  Their 
eyes  were  gilded  but  very  small.  Notwithstanding 
that  we  did  not  know  the  fish  we  ate  it  and  found 
it  very  palatable  and  tender,  especially  in  certain 
places  where  it  had  lean  meat  just  like  beef. 

When  we  halted  this  afternoon  about  thirty  hea- 
then came  from  a  village  which  we  left  behind  and 
from  another  which  we  have  immediately  ahead.  I 
gave  them  presents  as  soon  as  they  came,  and  they 
repaid  us  by  beginning  to  steal  with  hands  and  feet 
on  the  least  show  of  carelessness.  For  this  reason 
and  because  it  was  now  getting  dark  I  told  them  to 
say  good-night.  They  objected,  and  at  last  I  had  to 
order  them  with  severity  to  go.  Then  one  of  them 
became  so  bold  as  to  threaten  me  with  a  club  which 
he  carried  in  his  hands,  but  I  took  it  away  from  him, 
and  hit  him  with  it  twice,  and  this  was  enough  to 
make  them  all  run,  and  to  cause  the  bold  one  to  give 
me  to  understand  that  he  was  going  away  to  sleep. 

Wednesday,  April  3. — A  little  after  seven  we  set 
forth  on  the  march,  leaving  on  the  right  the  sierra 
mentioned  and  going  to  the  east-northeast.  We 
crossed  a  good  and  grass-covered  plain  for  about  a 
league,  after  which  we  went  about  half  a  league  to 
the  northeast  over  some  hills,  from  which  we  saw 
the  three  arms  of  the  river  noted  by  those  who  first 
discovered  it,  but  whereas  they  mention  only  three 
islands  we  have  seen  seven  low  ones. 

We  now  descended  to  another  plain  which  ex- 
tends to  the  river,  but  although  we  wished  to  go  di- 
rectly to  it  this  was  not  possible  because  many 


144     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

marshes  intervened.  Going  around  these,  we  turned 
again  to  the  east-northeast,  with  some  short  turns 
to  the  east,  over  a  very  sterile  and  dry  plain  which 
must  extend  two  and  a  half  leagues,  at  the  end  of 
which  we  came  to  a  village  of  about  four  hundred 
persons/  Many  of  them  ran  hastily  to  see  us,  and  as 
they  did  so  they  placed  strings  of  white  feathers  on 
some  poles  for  us  as  a  sign  of  peace.  I  gave  them 
presents  and  they  reciprocated  with  theirs,  espe- 
cially with  fine  pieces  of  salmon  already  cooked  in  a 
pit.  They  were  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  whose 
water  we  tasted,  and  it  was  now  very  fresh,  but  we 
noted  that  it  was  changeable. 

From  here  we  traveled  about  another  league  to 
the  east-southeast^  along  the  same  plain,  which  has 
some  groves  of  live  oaks  and  oaks,  and  at  the  end 
of  this  distance  we  ascended  a  high  hill  to  see  what 
we  could  see.  The  first  thing  we  noticed  was  that 
the  river  which  we  had  thought  would  turn  to  the 
east,  continued  to  the  east-northeast,  and  that  from 
here  upstream  it  appeared  to  us  to  be  more  like  a 
large  lake  than  a  river.  This  impression  was  sup- 
ported by  the  fact  that  up  to  now  we  had  not  seen 
the  current  which  was  reported  on  the  first  journey, 
and  that  the  water  appeared  to  have  an  ebb  and 
flow,  and  also  by  the  fact  that  we  had  not  found  any 

1  From  Pacheco  they  crossed  the  valley  northeastward  through 
Concord,  up  Willow  Pass  to  the  top  of  the  ridge,  and  continued  east 
to  the  site  of  Antioch,  where  the  village  stood.  Font  tells  us  that  just 
east  of  the  village  there  was  a  tule  marsh,  and  just  east  of  that  a 
chain  of  sand  hills  with  oak  trees.  The  marsh  and  the  ridge  (Oak 
Ridge)  are  both  just  east  of  Antioch. 

2  By  a  slip  the  MS.  reads  east-northeast.     Font  corrects  the  error. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  145 

flotsam,  and  that  the  surf  continued/  From  that  hill 
we  saw  to  the  east  and  to  the  north  an  interminable 
plain  without  any  groves,  and  to  the  northeast  the 
snow-covered  sierra  which  we  mentioned  yesterday. 
Descending  from  the  hill  we  traveled  northeast  for 
half  a  league,  going  to  the  river  to  halt  for  the  night. 
On  its  banks,  in  a  green  grove  of  live  oaks  and  oaks, 
we  pitched  our  camp  at  four  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, at  an  abandoned  village  which  I  called  San 
Eicardo,  having  traveled  about  six  leagues  in  nine 
hours.^ 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  when  he  discovered  this 
river  Commander  Faxes  returned  before  reaching 
the  preceding  village.^ 

As  soon  as  we  halted  we  went  to  the  bank  of  the 
river,  and  threw  logs  into  it,  the  largest  possible, 
and  instead  of  carrying  them  away  the  river  re- 
turned them  to  the  place  where  we  were.  We  still 
noted  a  surf  in  the  river.  And  having  set  up  stakes 
at  the  edge  of  the  waves  we  observed  that  from 
half -past  five  in  the  afternoon  until  a  quarter  past 
ten,  sixteen  and  one-half  yards  of  beach  were  un- 
covered, and  that  the  water  fell  three  and  a  quarter 
yards.  For  this  reason  and  those  mentioned  before 
we  have  been  led  to  doubt  whether  this  is  a  river, 
or  a  lake  formed  by  the  water  of  the  tulares,  so 
famous  in  these  establishments,  which  are  found  to 

1  Besaca. 

2  rrom  Antioeh  Anza  continued  southeast  to  the  region  of  Oak 
Grove  Cemetery  and  climbed  a  hill  in  the  vicinity.  Then  they  went 
northeast  to  San  Eicardo,  near  the  site  of  Antioeh  Bridge. 

3  Some  of  Fages  *s  men,  however,  went  to  the  same  village. 


146     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

the  north  and  east  of  the  missions  of  San  Luis  and 
San  Antonio,  and  extending  toward  this  place.  I  have 
therefore  decided  to  ascend  this  river  or  lake  still 
farther,  to  see  if  we  can  ascertain  a  little  more 
clearly  what  it  is,  for  the  information  of  the  Superior 
Government,  since  we  are  here,  in  view  of  the  lack  of 
opportunities  in  this  country  for  such  explorations. 

We  have  noted  that  the  fish  most  abundant  at 
present  from  the  mouth  of  the  bay  to  here  are  the 
salmon.  They  are  very  red  in  color,  and  are  tender, 
and  none  of  those  we  have  seen  is  less  than  five 
quarters  long.  Today  we  met  twenty-two  heathen 
loaded  with  these  fish  and  from  carrying  four  apiece 
they  were  almost  bushed.  At  the  village  which  we 
passed  there  were  so  many  that  it  seems  impossible 
that  its  residents  could  eat  them,  and  yet  part  of  the 
inhabitants  were  in  their  little  tule  rafts  engaged  in 
catching  more. 

Today  we  saw  and  passed  very  close  to  about 
twenty-five  deer,  from  six  to  seven  spans  high,^ 
but  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts  which  the  soldiers 
made  they  were  not  able  to  get  any  of  them.  The 
heathen  who  yesterday  molested  us  came  out  today 
to  our  road  to  give  us  presents  of  their  edibles.  I 
repaid  them  and  they  returned  happy  to  their  dwell- 
ings. Those  whom  we  have  seen  today  along  the 
way  appear  to  be  different  in  language  from  those 
further  back,  but  in  nothing  else. — From  Tubac  to 
San  Ricardo,  390  leagues. 

1  These  were  elk.  They  were  encountered  east  of  Willow  Pass 
and  pursued  to  Concord  Valley  (Font). 


ANZA'S  DIARY  147 

Thursday,  April  4. — At  a  quarter  past  seven  we 
set  out  on  the  march  toward  the  east,  with  the  in- 
tention of  ascending  the  banks  of  this  river  or  lake 
for  two  days,  unless  we  should  be  able  to  cross  it, 
but  after  we  had  gone  a  short  distance  we  were 
forced  by  an  estuary  of  water  and  marshes  to  leave 
the  bank,  and  because  it  interfered  with  our  march 
we  left  it  at  our  left  and  continued  to  go  around  it 
to  the  east-northeast/  In  this  direction  we  traveled 
about  three  leagues,  at  the  end  of  which  the  water 
and  the  marshes  kept  getting  bigger. 

To  get  around  them  I  made  such  efforts  as  were 
possible,  both  on  foot  and  on  horseback,  but  the 
water  and  the  marshes  alike  prevented  our  going  to 
the  east-northeast,  the  way  we  ought  to  have  gone, 
forcing  us  in  the  opposite  direction,  that  is,  to  the 
east  and  southeast.  In  these  directions  we  traveled 
about  five  leagues,  at  the  end  of  which  we  came  to 
a  greater  abundance  of  water  running  to  the  river 
or  lake  from  which  we  had  come.  And  as  we  beheld 
more  water  and  more  marshes  in  all  the  immense 
plain  which  we  saw  to  the  east  and  to  the  north, 
the  two  soldiers  who  belong  to  this  country  assured 
me  now  that  this  water  comes  from  the  tulares  which 
run  in  those  directions  and  are  distant  twenty-five 
or  thirty  leagues  from  the  missions  of  San  Luis 
and  San  Antonio,  and  which  even  in  dry  season  they 
have  found  unfordable. 

1  Font  gives  the  direction  as  east-southeast  from  San  Eicardo, 
and  this  is  probably  correct. 


148     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

This  information,  together  with  what  I  had 
observed,  caused  me  to  think  that  what  has  been 
regarded  as  a  river  is  merely  a  great  lake,  formed 
from  the  waters  supplied  to  it  by  the  tulares  and 
the  Sierra  Nevada  which  I  have  mentioned  herein- 
before, and  which  is  not  less  than  thirty  leagues 
away,  because  this  is  the  width  of  the  tulares.  Since 
it  was  impossible  for  me  to  conquer  these  tulares 
without  going  around  their  head  they  forced  me  to 
change  my  plan,  and  at  two  in  the  afternoon  I 
decided  to  return/ — From  Tubac  to  the  place  where 
I  left  the  river  or  lake  of  San  Francisco,  to  return 
to  Sonora,  398  leagues. 


The  Eeturn  Journey 

For  this  reason  I  set  out  to  the  south-southwest, 
and  having  traveled  in  this  direction  across  a  sterile 
plain  for  about  a  league  and  a  half,  we  then  began 
to  ascend  some  hills  belonging  to  the  sierras  which 
we  mentioned  yesterday  on  our  right.  Having  fin- 
ished these  hills  and  the  sierra  with  another  league 
and  a  half  of  travel,  we  descended  to  other  hills,  at 
the  head  of  the  valley  of  Santa  Angela  de  Fulgino. 
Following  these  for  another  league  and  a  half,  at 
half  past  five  in  the  afternoon  we  halted  for  the 
night  on  the  same  hills,  at  the  first  water  and  fire- 

1  From  San  Ricardo  Anza  swung  east,  southeast  and  south  along 
the  edge  of  the  sloughs  past  Oakley,  Knightsen,  and  Byron  to  the 
vicinity  of  Bethany,  where  he  decided  to  return  to  Monterey. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  149 

wood  which  we  found,  having  traveled  twelve  and 
one-half  leagues  in  ten  hours/ 

All  the  country  which  we  have  traversed  today, 
with  the  exception  of  that  which  has  water,  and  the 
stretch  which  we  have  traveled  over  the  last  hills, 
is  barren  of  any  pasturage  or  brush  or  trees,  and 
apparently  it  continues  in  the  same  way  toward  the 
east.  We  assume  that  it  is  for  this  reason  that  we 
have  not  seen  any  Indians  today  in  the  marshes 
and  tulares,  but  we  know  from  the  smokes  that  there 
are  Indians,  although  they  do  not  come  out  to  this 
region,  for  we  did  not  even  see  any  tracks.  We 
attempted  to  go  to  the  nearest  village,  but  it  was 
not  possible  because  of  the  mires  and  the  water  of 
various  sloughs  which  we  saw  the  Indians  cross  in 
their  little  rafts,  of  which  we  saw  two  made  of  this 
tule.  We  also  saw  that  they  made  little  mounds  of 
earth  as  sites  for  their  villages,  to  free  them  some- 
what from  the  water. 

Friday,  April  5. — A  little  before  seven  we  set 
forth  over  the  same  hills  to  cross  the  sierra  which 
we  have  ahead  of  us,  and  which  up  to  now  has  never 
been  crossed  in  this  region.  We  began  the  transit 
by  ascending  two  leagues  to  the  east,  then  continu- 
ing for  another  league  east-southeast,  and  likewise 
southeast,  whereby  we  descended  to  a  valley^  which 

1  Anza  evidently  entered  the  hills  through  Midway  Valley, 
ascended  the  ridge  near  Patterson  Pass,  till  he  could  see  Livermore 
Valley,  dropped  into  Livermore  Valley  near  the  Hetch  Hetchy  power 
plant,  east  of  Livermore,  and  ascended  Brown's  Ridge  to  camp. 

2  Arroyo  Mocho  Canyon. 


150     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

ran  in  the  last-mentioned  direction  for  about  an- 
other league  and  a  half.  Then,  because  it  became 
very  narrow,  we  ascended  some  brush-covered^  hills 
in  the  same  direction,  which  lasted  another  league. 
We  now  descended  to  some  small  plains  which  were 
about  two  leagues  long,  and  at  the  end  of  them  we 
halted  at  five  in  the  afternoon  where  there  was  some 
water  in  pools  and  very  little  pasturage,  having 
traveled  seven  leagues  in  ten  hours. — From  the  river 
or  lake  of  San  Francisco  to  the  center  of  the  Sierra 
del  Chasco,^  11  leagues. 

Saturday,  April  6. — At  a  quarter  to  seven  we 
began  crossing  the  divide,  going  to  the  south-south- 
east, and  having  immediately  ascended  some  high 
hills  we  descended  a  canyon  which  ran  in  the  same 
direction  and  contained  water,  along  which  we  trav- 
eled about  two  leagues,  but  as  it  ended  in  a  fall  it 
was  necessary  to  go  around  it  by  some  steep  and 
difficult  trails  which  lasted  for  about  a  league. 
Having  finished  this  league,  we  again  descended  to 
the  same  canyon,  which  now  afforded  us  fairly  good 
footing  for  about  another  league.     From  here  for- 

1  Mattal.     These  hills  are  covered  with  a  reddish  brush. 

2  From  camp  Anza  swung  southeast  across  Corral  Hollow,  ascended 
Crane  Eidge  near  the  county  line,  and  descended  to  Arroyo  Mocho 
near  Buckeye  Lodge  or  a  little  west  of  it.  Following  the  valley  along 
the  present  road  for  two  leagues  he  crossed  the  S.  S.  grade  (Black- 
bird Valley)  three  miles  south  of  the  county  line.  Descending  four 
or  five  miles  by  the  present  road  he  entered  San  Antonio  Valley  and 
followed  it  to  its  southeastern  extremity,  camping  on  Sulphur  Creek 
near  Charles  Schultzo's  house,  which  overlooks  the  head  of  the  East 
Fork  of  Arroyo  del  Coyote.  Sierra  del  Chasco  means  the  ''Moun- 
tain of  the  Joke,*'  referring  to  the  surprise  they  got  at  its  width 
and  difficulty. 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  151 

ward  in  the  same  direction  and  until  three  more 
leagues  were  covered,  the  difficulties  of  the  march 
were  even  greater,  because  if  we  traveled  along  the 
bottom  there  were  many  stones  and  much  water. 
When  one  or  the  other  became  impassable,  we  turned 
to  the  slopes,  down  which  we  almost  slid.  In  this 
way  at  half  past  four  in  the  afternoon  we  came  out 
to  another  valley,  in  which  at  this  hour  we  halted 
for  the  night,  having  traveled  seven  leagues  in  a 
little  less  than  ten  hours. — From  the  river  or  lake 
of  San  Francisco  to  the  emergence  from  the  sierra 
mentioned,^  18  leagues. 

To  this  place,  as  well  as  to  all  of  the  foregoing 
country,  we  have  given  the  name  of  Sierra  del 
Chasco,  because  of  the  joke  it  has  played  on  us  by 
its  difficult  passage  due  to  its  width,  which  nobody 
had  anticipated.  From  here  we  have  recognized  the 
road  by  which  we  came,  and  on  finishing  the  sierra 
we  shall  not  be  very  distant  from  it.  The  range 
shows  signs  of  having  silver  ore.  It  is  well  covered 
with  oaks,  live  oaks,  walnuts,  pine,  and  hazelnuts, 
and  in  the  principal  valley^  which  cuts  it  I  think 
water  will  always  be  found.  It  is  not  inhabited  by 
heathen  at  present,  but  in  the  seasons  of  the  fruits 

1  From  camp  they  dropped  down  from  the  floor  of  San  Antonio 
Valley  to  the  headwaters  of  the  East  Fork  of  Arroyo  del  Coyote,  and 
followed  it  past  Gilroy  Hot  Springs  to  the  mouth  of  Canada  de  los 
Osos,  in  which  they  camped.  Next  day  they  ascended  Canada  de 
los  Osos  southward,  crossed  the  hills  and  emerged  into  the  valley 
(San  Pasqual)  east  of  Gilroy,  about  at  Prunedale  School.  Crossing 
the  valley  and  rejoining  their  outward  route  they  followed  it  to 
Monterey. 

2  San  Antonio  Valley. 


152     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

mentioned  some  Indians  go  to  gather  them.  Of  these 
people  only  one  was  seen  yesterday  afternoon. 

Sunday,  April  7. — At  a  quarter  past  seven  we 
began  to  ascend  the  valley  in  which  we  spent  the 
night.  We  followed  it  to  the  south-southeast  for  a 
league  and  a  half,  when  it  ended  in  some  low  hills. 
Crossing  these  in  another  half  league,  we  descended 
to  the  valley  of  San  Pasqual,  which  we  also  crossed 
by  going  two  and  one-half  leagues  to  the  south.  We 
now  rejoined  the  road  which  we  took  in  coming,  and 
followed  it  for  another  league  and  a  half  to  the  south 
until  we  forded  the  Pajaro  River.  From  here  we  con- 
tinued southwest  for  another  league  until  we  crossed 
the  arroyo  of  San  Benito,  and  having  ascended  its 
steep  slope,  from  here  we  continued  in  the  same 
direction  until  we  had  passed  some  canyons  and  a 
valley  extending  for  about  two  leagues,  and  from  this 
valley  we  came  out  to  the  plain  of  the  river  of  Monte 
Rey.  Over  this  plain  we  traveled  to  the  west-south- 
west and  southwest  for  three  leagues,  crossed  the 
river  named,  and  halted  on  its  banks  at  a  quarter 
past  five  to  camp  for  the  night,  having  traveled 
twelve  leagues  in  ten  hours. — From  the  river  named 
to  the  river  of  Monte  Rey,  30  leagues. 

Monday,  April  8. — A  little  after  seven  we  took 
the  road  by  which  we  had  come,  following  it  to  the 
west-southwest  for  three  and  one-half  leagues.  Con- 
tinuing for  another  half  league  to  the  west,  we 
reached  the  presidio  of  Monte  Rey  at  half  past  ten 
in  the  morning,  having  traveled  four  leagues  in  three 
and  one-half  hours.     This  afternoon  I  went  to  the 


ANZA'S  DIARY  153 

mission  of  Carmelo,  both  to  get  some  relief  for  my 
leg,  for  I  still  suffered  greatly,  and  because  there 
was  a  place  to  lodge  there  suitable  for  this  purpose, 
while  at  the  presidio  there  are  no  better  quarters 
than  my  field  tent. — From  the  San  Francisco  Eiver 
to  the  port  and  presidio  of  Monte  Eey,  34  leagues. 

From  Tuesday  to  Friday,  April  9,  10,  11  and  12, 
I  remained  at  this  mission,  and  on  this  last  day  I 
sent  five  soldiers  to  the  presidio  of  San  Diego,  with 
advice  to  the  commander  of  these  establishments,  in 
order  that  he  might  be  at  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel 
from  the  25th  to  the  26th  of  this  month,  to  enable 
us  to  confer  concerning  the  matters  with  which  we 
both  are  entrusted.  With  regard  to  this  advice  and 
his  coming  we  had  made  arrangements  at  the  pre- 
sidio when  we  bade  each  other  good-bye. 

Saturday,  April  13. — ^With  very  little  improve- 
ment in  my  health  I  set  forth  from  the  mission  of 
Carmelo  for  the  presidio  of  Monte  Rey  with  the 
purpose  of  returning  to  my  province,  and  of  turn- 
ing over  to  Lieutenant  Moraga  the  affairs  of  the 
expedition  which  has  come  under  my  command,  in 
the  absence  of  Commander  Don  Fernando  Rivera  y 
Moncada,  who,  as  is  stated,  is  at  the  presidio  of 
San  Diego. 


HOMEWARD  BOUND 

Sunday,  April  14. — Having  concluded  my  tasks, 
at  two  in  the  afternoon  I  began  my  return  march 
in  company  with  Father  Fray  Pedro  Font,  seven 
soldiers  of  my  command,  because  two  had  gone  to 
notify  Commander  Rivera  and  another  had  re- 
mained at  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel;  the  commis- 
sary who  came  with  the  expedition;  six  muleteers 
of  the  expedition,  because  the  rest  who  came  are 
remaining  voluntarily,  and  four  of  them  I  left  as 
deserters  and  thieves  sentenced  to  work  on  the  fort 
of  San  Francisco  until  his  Excellency  shall  make 
some  other  disposition;  two  of  the  three  cowboys 
who  came,  for  the  other  likewise  remained  here ;  and 
four  of  my  servants. 

At  two  in  the  afternoon,  then,  I  set  forth  over 
the  same  road  by  which  I  had  come.  We  followed  it 
to  the  east-southeast  for  four  leagues,  for  the  most 
part  through  some  hills,  from  which  we  descended 
to  the  river  of  Monte  Rey,  where,  in  the  place  which 
they  call  Buenavista,  at  six  in  the  afternoon  we 
halted  for  the  night,  having  traveled  three  hours 
and  covered  four  leagues.^ 

1  They  returned  essentially  along  the  line  of  the  Salinas  highway 
to  the  Salinas  Eiver  near  Spreckels. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  155 

This  day  has  been  the  saddest  one  experienced 
by  this  presidio  since  its  founding.  When  I  mounted 
my  horse  in  the  plaza,  the  people  whom  I  have  led 
from  their  fatherlands,  to  which  I  am  returning, 
remembering  the  good  or  bad  treatment  which  they 
have  experienced  at  my  hands  while  they  have  been 
under  my  orders,  most  of  them,  especially  the  femi- 
nine sex,  came  to  me  sobbing  with  tears,  which  they 
declared  they  were  shedding  more  because  of  my 
departure  than  of  their  exile,  filling  me  with  com- 
passion. They  showered  me  with  embraces,  best 
wishes,  and  praises  which  I  do  not  merit.  But  in 
rememberance  of  them,  and  of  the  gratitude  which 
I  feel  to  all,  and  the  affection  which  I  have  had  for 
them  ever  since  I  recruited  them,  and  in  eulogy  of 
their  faithfulness,  for  up  to  now  I  have  not  seen  a 
single  sign  of  desertion  in  anyone  of  those  whom 
I  brought  to  remain  in  this  exile,  I  may  be  permitted 
to  record  this  praise  of  a  people  who,  as  time  goes 
on,  will  be  very  useful  to  the  monarchy  in  whose 
service  they  have  voluntarily  left  their  relatives  and 
their  fatherland,  which  is  all  they  have  to  lose. 

Monday,  April  15. — At  half  past  six  we  continued 
our  way  over  the  road  mentioned,  following  it  to 
the  southeast.  Having  traveled  about  two  leagues 
I  met  on  his  return  the  sergeant  of  the  presidio  of 
Monte  Eey,  whom  on  the  12th  I  detached  from  this 
presidio  to  take  to  that  of  San  Diego  the  report 
which  on  that  day  I  wrote  to  its  commander,  Don 
Fernando  de  Rivera.     From  Rivera  he  now  deliv- 


156     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

ered  two  letters,  telling  me  that  although  he  was 
following  close  behind,  he  had  sent  the  sergeant 
ahead  to  deliver  the  letters  to  me.  As  soon  as  he 
handed  them  to  me  the  sergeant  said,  in  the  presence 
of  two  fathers  who  were  with  me  and  several  others 
in  my  company,  that  he  wished  to  speak  to  me  alone. 
I  went  apart  from  the  company  indicated  and 
the  sergeant  said  to  me:  *^Senor,  my  captain  is 
becoming  foolish  and  crazy,  and  his  companions 
who  are  coming  with  him  say  the  same.  He  has 
been  excommunicated  at  the  presidio  of  San  Diego 
because  he  took  the  heathen  Carlos  from  the  church. 
Ever  since  he  saw  me  I  have  experienced  a  thousand 
insults.  He  even  deprived  me  of  my  office  of  ser- 
geant, and  he  has  done  the  same  with  the  corporal 
and  all  the  nine  men  who  are  with  him.  As  soon 
as  I  met  his  Grace  he  asked  me  where  I  was  going. 
When  I  told  him  that  I  had  been  sent  by  your  Grace 
to  take  some  letters  to  him,  he  replied,  *Well,  Well! 
Go  on  back,'  without  accepting  the  letters.  This 
was  the  day  before  yesterday,  Saturday  afternoon, 
before  arriving  at  the  mission  of  San  Antonio.  He 
passed  that  whole  night  without  calling  me  for  any- 
thing, but  on  Sunday,  at  the  time  for  starting,  he 
said,  shouting:  ^The  letters  from  Don  Juan,  bring 
them  to  me ! '  I  took  them  to  him  and  as  I  delivered 
them  I  said  to  him,  ^This  one  is  from  the  Seiior 
Lieutenant-colonel,  and  this  one  from  Lieutenant 
Moraga.'  To  this  he  replied,  *A11  right!'  and 
thrust  them  into  his  pocket  sealed,  just  as  they  were 


ANZA'S  DIARY  157 

when  I  delivered  them.  Immediately  he  gave  me 
two  others  for  your  Grace,  ordering^  me  to  deliver 
them  as  soon  as  I  should  meet  you/'^ 

After  listening  to  this  account  I  opened  the  let- 
ters, which  are  mixed  with  official  and  confidential 
matters,  and  in  which  he  replies  to  my  dispatches 
of  the  13th  instant.  Their  purport  is  to  refuse  to 
permit  the  establishment  of  the  fort  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, even  though  I  might  make  it  possible  to  found 
it  with  fewer  soldiers  than  those  which  came  for  this 
purpose,  as  shown  by  his  official  dispatches  and  my 
replies  to  them. 

This  incident  past,  I  ordered  the  sergeant  to 
pursue  his  journey  to  Monte  Eey,  which  he  did  im- 
mediately. Continuing  on  my  way  from  here,  in  the 
direction  stated,  and  having  traveled  about  a  league, 
I  met  the  commander,  saluted  him,  and  asked  him 
politely  for  his  health.  To  this  he  replied  that  he 
was  having  trouble  in  one  leg.  I  expressed  my  re- 
gret for  his  illness,  and,  immediately  putting  spurs 
to  his  mule,  he  said  *  ^  Good-bye, '  ^  and  passed  on.  I 
returned  the  compliment  and  said  to  him  as  he 
started,  **Will  you  have  the  goodness  to  reply  to  the 
letter  which  I  last  wrote  your  Grace,  addressing  me 
in  Mexico  or  wherever  you  wishf  His  answer 
was,  *^Very  well!''  At  this  reply  and  this  action 
I  said  to  the  reverend  fathers  who  are  with  me, 
in  a  voice  which  he  could  plainly  hear,  ^^Will  your 

1  This  interesting  conversation  took  place  near  Buena  Vista. 
Eivera  was  met  a  league  further  on,  somewhere  north  of  Somavia 
School. 


158     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Reverences  please  witness  this  occurrence  and  write 
me  a  certificate,  so  that  it  may  be  attested  in  the 
reports  which  I  shall  make  to  his  Excellency?^' 

Other  things  occurred  which  I  might  report  to 
his  Excellency,  but  in  the  little  which  I  saw  of  this 
man  I  did  not  recognize  the  craziness  which  the 
sergeant  indicated,  but  instead  a  haughty  reserve. 
Aside  from  the  mortification  which  I  felt,  I  cared 
not  so  much  for  his  impoliteness  as  I  feared  that 
his  lack  of  respect  for  the  superior  orders  of  his 
Excellency,  requiring  that  he  should  confer  with  me 
concerning  the  matters  entrusted  to  him,  which  he 
had  failed  to  do  in  my  former  interviews,  might  lead 
to  the  perdition  of  both  of  us.  For  this  reason,  and 
because  I  had  fulfilled  my  part  of  what  is  ordered 
by  his  Excellency,  I  refrained  from  words  and  other 
proceedings. 

All  the  letters  mentioned  which  I  have  written 
to  this  commander,  and  which  I  shall  present  to  his 
Excellency,  contain  nothing  except  to  beg  him  to 
effect  as  soon  as  possible  the  establishment  of  the 
port  of  San  Francisco.  On  this  subject  alone  could 
he  find  a  reason  for  being  resentful  to  me,  and  on 
this  only  because  he  is  opposed  to  it,  as  is  evident 
to  the  father  missionaries  and  other  inhabitants  of 
this  region,  who  before  now  have  informed  me  of  it. 
He  has  no  other  reason  than  that  he  thinks  the 
troops  under  his  orders  are  not  sufficient  for  such 
an  enterprise,  although  it  is  possible  to  found  the 
presidio  with  even  a  smaller  number,  because  of  the 


ANZA'S  DIARY  159 

character  of  the  Indians  with  whom  they  have  to 
deal  in  this  region. 

After  all  the  foregoing  incidents,  I  continued  by 
the  road  and  direction  mentioned  until  half  past  five 
in  the  afternoon,  when  I  reached  the  site  of  San 
Bernarbe,  where  I  halted  for  the  night,  having  trav- 
eled sixteen  leagues  in  eleven  hours. 

Tuesday,  April  16. — At  a  quarter  to  seven  we 
again  took  up  the  march,  ascending  the  valley  of 
San  Bernarbe,  alias  El  Eoble  Caido,^  which  runs  in 
general  to  the  south.  Following  this  valley  in  the 
direction  mentioned  for  two  and  one-half  leagues 
over  fairly  good  ground,  we  continued  another 
league  and  a  half  in  the  same  direction  over  some 
hills,  from  which  we  descended  at  half  past  ten  to 
the  mission  of  San  Antonio,  where  we  halted  to 
remain  here  for  the  day,  having  traveled  five  leagues 
in  three  hours  and  three-quarters. 

Wednesday,  April  17. — At  two  in  the  afternoon 
we  set  out  from  the  mission  of  San  Antonio,  follow- 
ing its  valley  or  river  downstream,  which  in  the 
main  runs  to  the  south-southeast  and  east.  In  this 
direction  we  traveled  about  five  leagues  in  four 
hours,  halting  for  the  night  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
mentioned  at  six  in  the  afternoon. ^ 

Thursday,  April  18. — A  little  after  six  we  set 
forth  along  the  same  river,  which  we  followed  in 
general    to    the    east-southeast.      Having    traveled 

1  Kent  Canyon,  south  of  King  City. 

2  Camp  was  on  San  Antonio  Eiver  some  fifteen  miles  southeast  of 
old  Mission  San  Antonio,  about  at  Pleyto. 


160     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

about  five  leagues  we  left  the  river  and  crossed  some 
hills,  which  lasted  about  another  league,  until  we 
crossed  the  Nacimiento  Eiver.  We  then  came  to 
other  hills  like  the  last,  over  which  we  traveled  to 
the  south-southeast  and  southeast  for  two  leagues, 
when  we  descended  to  the  river  of  Monte  Rey. 
Along  this  stream  we  traveled  to  the  east-southeast 
for  four  leagues ;  this  done,  we  continued  in  the  same 
direction  for  two  more  leagues,  ascending  the  valley 
of  Santa  Margarita,  in  which  we  halted  for  the  night, 
having  traveled  fourteen  leagues  in  eleven  hours/ 

Friday,  April  19. — At  a  quarter  past  six  we  con- 
tinued our  route  up  the  valley  of  Santa  Margarita 
to  the  east-southeast  for  two  and  one-half  leagues, 
coming  at  the  end  of  this  distance  to  its  village. 
Then  we  ascended  to  the  southeast  a  range  of  not 
very  high  hills,  over  which  we  traveled  two  and 
one-half  more  leagues,  and,  continuing  to  the  south 
for  another  league,  at  half  past  ten  we  came  to  the 
mission  of  San  Luis,  where  we  halted  for  a  stop, 
having  traveled  six  leagues  in  five  and  one-half 
hours. 

In  the  afternoon  today  I  was  overtaken  at  this 
mission  by  one  of  the  friars  who  live  at  the  mission 
of  Carmelo,  who  brought  a  letter  from  his  father 
president,  in  order  that  I  might  present  it  to  his 
Excellency.  The  father  president  also  requests  me 
through  his  messenger  to  do  him  the  favor  of  await- 
ing him,  so  that  I  may  ride  with  him  from  here 

1  Camp  was  between  Atascadero  and  Santa  Margarita. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  161 

to  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel,  planning,  if  the  com- 
mander of  these  establishments  arranges  for  it,  to 
travel  in  his  company,  for  he  had  said  that  he  also 
was  coming  to  overtake  me.  The  reason  why  the 
father  superior  of  these  missions  is  consenting  to 
make  this  journey  is  to  see  if  he  can  harmonize  and 
compose  the  troubles  that  have  arisen  between  the 
commander  and  the  father  missionary  of  San  Diego, 
on  account  of  the  taking  by  the  commander  of  a 
refugee  from  the  place  where  they  celebrate  Mass, 
and  to  intercede  for  the  rebellious  Indians  of  that 
mission,  part  of  whom  offer  to  give  themselves  up 
peacefully,  but  in  reply,  they  say,  the  commander 
has  threatened  to  receive  them  with  grapeshot. 

I  also  received  at  the  hand  of  the  father  emissary^ 
a  letter  from  the  commander  in  which  he,  like  the 
father  president,  requests  me  to  wait  to  confer  with 
him  regarding  matters  of  the  service,  excusing  him- 
self for  his  manner  of  parting  with  me  by  saying 
that  he  was  ill,  besides  other  things  which  his  letter 
contains  and  which  likewise  I  shall  present  to  his 
Excellency.  Another  letter  was  brought  by  the 
same  friar  from  Lieutenant  Moraga,  in  which  he 
reports  to  me  the  arrival  of  the  commander  at 
Monte  Eey.  I  will  submit  this  letter  with  the  others, 
for  in  it  he  expresses  the  opinion  that  his  com- 
mander is  demented. 

Saturday,  April  20. — I  remained  at  the  mission, 
waiting  as  I  have  been  requested  to  do. 

1  Father  Cambon. 


162     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Sunday,  April  21. — I  remained  here  for  the 
reason  expressed  above.  At  four  in  the  afternoon 
four  soldiers  arrived,  and  their  corporal  gave  me 
news  of  his  commander,  saying  that  he  was  awaiting 
me  a  little  more  than  a  league  away,  having  camped 
there  for  the  night.^  It  rained  today,  and  I  served 
as  godfather  for  five  adults. 

Immediately  I  sent  a  corporal  and  two  of  my 
soldiers  to  the  commander  with  a  reply  to  his  letter, 
saying  in  substance  that,  notwithstanding  his 
actions,  I  was  willing  to  confer  with  him  and  await 
him  for  the  purpose  he  mentions,  providing  that  the 
conference  shall  be  in  writing  and  shall  relate  to 
the  service,  and  that  I  will  even  await  him  here  if 
he  will  notify  me. 

Monday,  April  22. — At  half  past  twelve  I  re- 
ceived the  reply  to  my  letter  mentioned  yesterday, 
by  the  same  messengers  by  whom  I  sent  mine.  In 
it  the  commander  says  in  substance  that  he  thinks 
Mission  San  Gabriel  a  more  appropriate  place  in 
which  to  speak  of  the  matters  which  he  indicates. 
It  may  be  that  he  will  change  from  there  to  another 
place,  for  his  whole  purpose  is  to  get  as  far  away 
as  possible  from  the  establishment  of  San  Francisco, 
to  which  he  is  opposed. 

Tuesday,  April  23. — At  seven  I  left  the  mission 
of  San  Luis  and  we  set  forth  on  the  camino  real 
for  a  league  to  the  southeast.    Then  we  traveled  a 

1  Eivera  was  camped  in  the  pass  northeast  of  San  Luis  Obispo. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  163 

league  to  the  southwest,  and  another  to  the  south, 
going  through  the  village  of  El  Buchon,  passing 
before  we  reached  it  some  springs  of  asphalt  or 
chapopotte,  as  they  call  it  in  the  Kingdom/  From 
the  village  we  descended  to  the  beach,  along  which 
we  traveled  about  two  leagues  to  the  south;  these 
concluded,  we  left  the  beach  and  ascended  some  fair- 
sized  sand  dunes,  which  we  crossed  by  going  east. 
Then  we  turned  south  and  south-southeast,  across 
a  plain  which,  together  with  the  sand  dunes,  ex- 
tended for  about  five  leagues,  until  we  reached  the 
village  of  Laguna  Larga.^  From  here  we  went  for- 
ward for  lack  of  firewood,  ascending  some  hills  to 
the  south  and  south-southwest^  for  three  leagues, 
and  arriving  at  half  past  six  in  the  afternoon  at 
Laguna  Graciosa,  where  we  halted  for  the  night, 
having  traveled  ten  and  one-half  hours  and  covered 
thirteen  leagues.* 

Mention  should  be  made  of  a  report  which  a  week 
ago  they  gave  to  Father  Juan  Figuer,  one  of  the 
ministers  of  the  mission  San  Luis,  who  is  versed 
in  the  language  of  this  region.  Once  when  he  went 
to  the  ocean  beach  they  showed  him  some  rocks 
some  distance  out  to  sea,  telling  him  that  twenty- 
three  winters  or  years  ago  twelve  persons  like  us 

1  Font  tells  us  that  the  village  of  El  Buch6n  was  a  league  south 
of  the  asphalt  springs  near  Maxwrellton. 

2  Guadalupe  Lake. 

sAnza  says  southeast,  but  clearly  it  was  southwest. 
4  Anza  retraced  his  outward  route.     Laguna  Graciosa  was  at  the 
mouth  of  San  Antonio  Creek. 


164     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

in  whiteness,  clothing,  weapons,  and  other  things 
they  see,  were  shipwrecked  and  perished  on  those 
rocks.  Before  this  misfortune  they  had  disem- 
barked from  their  launch,  landed,  and  made  the 
natives  presents  of  glass  beads,  large  knives,  and 
pocket  knives,  these  being  the  ones  which  our  expe- 
dition found  the  first  time  they  traveled  through 
these  regions.  The  father  asked  them  if  they  saw 
another  and  larger  vessel  out  at  sea.  They  said 
*^No,''  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  vessel  which 
they  told  of  was  wrecked,  for  besides  the  things 
given  to  them  by  the  persons  who  were  managing 
the  vessel,  they  took  advantage  of  its  fragments, 
which  they  collected  in  the  boats  which  they  use,  or 
of  what  the  tide  washed  up  on  shore.  Who  these 
people  might  be  I  leave  to  be  discussed  by  somebody 
who  may  be  better  informed  than  I. 

Wednesday,  April  24. — At  a  quarter  to  seven  we 
resumed  our  march,  going  generally  south-south- 
west. Having  traveled  three  leagues  we  came  to 
the  Santa  Rosa  Eiver,  and  because  it  was  low  tide 
it  did  not  impede  our  passage.  We  traveled  about 
another  league  in  the  same  direction,  and  then  de- 
scended gradually  for  about  two  more  leagues  to 
the  east,  when  we  came  to  the  westernmost  village 
of  the  Channel  of  Santa  Barbara.  We  continued 
in  that  direction  along  the  coast,  passing  through 
another  village,  until  we  made  ^ve  more  leagues 
or  twelve  in  all,  and  arrived,  after  having  traveled 
twelve  hours,  at  the  vicinity  of  the  village  of  El 


ANZA'S  DIARY  165 

Cojo,  where  we  halted  at  five  in  the  afternoon  to 
camp  for  the  night. 

Thursday,  April  25. — At  a  quarter  to  seven  we 
continued  our  journey  along  the  Channel,  which  all 
the  way  runs  from  west  to  east,  making  it  unneces- 
sary to  indicate  the  directions  again.  We  passed 
eight  of  its  villages,  and  near  that  of  Mexcaltitan  we 
halted  for  the  night  at  a  quarter  past  five,  having 
traveled  fourteen  leagues  in  ten  and  one-half  hours. 

Friday,  April  26. — At  a  quarter  to  seven  we 
resumed  our  march  along  the  same  channel  in  the 
same  direction.  We  passed  the  three  large  villages 
of  Mexcaltitan  and  the  village  of  La  Laguna,  after 
which  followed  the  four  near  the  river  of  San 
Buenaventura  and  the  last  one,  called  La  Carpin- 
teria,  where  we  ended  our  march  for  the  day  at  a 
quarter  past  ^ve  in  the  afternoon,  having  traveled 
ten  hours  and  made  twelve  leagues.^  The  fine  cir- 
cumstances of  the  heathen  who  inhabit  this  Channel 
for  a  distance  of  thirty  leagues,  more  or  less,  in  which 
there  are  seventeen  villages  of  considerable  size, 
midway  between  our  establishments  and  between 
the  two  missions,^  make  it  seem  too  bad  that  they 
have  not  received  the  same  benefit  as  other  heathen, 
for  the  reason  indicated  and  also  in  order  that  there 
might  not  be  so  long  a  stretch  of  unoccupied  country. 

1  Santa  Rosa  Eiver  is  now  called  Santa  Ynez.  The  westernmost 
village  of  the  channel  was  east  of  Eocky  Point.  The  village  El  Cojo 
was  at  Cojo  Creek.  Mexcaltitan  was  near  Mescal  Island.  La  Laguna 
was  in  eastern  Santa  Barbara,  and  La  Carpinteria  was  at  Ventura 
River. 

2  San  Gabriel  and  San  Luis  Obispo. 


166     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

May  heaven  be  pleased  to  aiTord  these  unhappy- 
people  their  day  of  light,  for  in  themselves  they  have 
advantages  enabling  them  to  subsist  in  their  towns 
better  than  others,  aided  by  their  supply  of  fish, 
which  is  continuous  and  abundant.  I  consider  them 
as  trustworthy  as  others,  for  their  advantageous 
condition  of  living  in  compact  settlements  has  not 
given  them  the  audacity  to  attempt  any  serious 
injury  to  our  people,  and  this  proves  their  docility 
and  their  peaceful  nature. 

Saturday,  April  27. — At  seven  we  resumed  our 
march,  and  soon  reached  the  end  of  the  Channel, 
from  which  we  continued  to  the  east  for  two  leagues, 
until  we  forded  the  Santa  Clara  River.  From  here 
we  continued  to  the  east-southeast  for  four  more 
leagues,  and  then  climbed  the  steep  slope  of  a  little 
range,  along  which  we  traveled  to  the  east^  three 
more  leagues.  Then,  turning  northeast  for  another 
league,  we  arrived  at  half  past  five  in  the  afternoon 
at  Agua  Escondida,  having  traveled  only  ten  leagues 
in  almost  eleven  hours  because  four  of  them  had 
been  over  bad  country. 

Sunday,  April  28. — At  seven  we  continued  our 
journey  along  the  little  range  mentioned,  going  east- 
northeast  for  more  than  a  league,  when  we  de- 
scended and  finished  the  range.  Then  crossing  the 
plain  to  the  east,  which  lasted  for  about  four 
leagues,  we  went  three  more  over  broken  country 

1  The  MS.  reads  north  for  east.  Santa  Clara  River  was  crossed 
near  El  Rio.  The  cuesta  or  grade  up  Conejo  Mountain  was  near 
Camarillo,  and  Agua  Escondida  was  near  Las  Virgenes  Creek. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  167 

in  the  same  direction,  making  a  total  of  more  than 
eight  leagues,  arriving  after  ten  hours  of  travel  at 
five  in  the  afternoon  at  Porciiincula  Eiver,  where 
we  camped  for  the  night/  As  soon  as  we  halted  I 
sent  three  soldiers  to  the  nearby  mission  of  San 
Gabriel,  in  order  that  the  commander  of  these  estab- 
lishments might  be  notified  of  my  arrival  there  in 
the  near  future. 

Monday,  April  29. — ^At  half  past  six  we  resumed 
our  march,  going  east-northeast  for  a  league,  after 
which  we  went  another  to  the  northeast  and  reached 
the  mission  of  San  Gabriel  at  eight,  having  made 
this  distance  in  an  hour  and  three-quarters.  Here  I 
halted  for  the  purpose  which  I  mentioned  on  the 
22d  instant.  As  soon  as  I  arrived  Commander 
Rivera  sent  me  three  dispatches,  to  which  I  replied, 
giving  him  time  in  which  to  write  to  his  Excellency 
today,  tomorrow  and  the  following  day. — From  the 
San  Francisco  River  to  this  mission  of  San  Gabriel, 
154  leagues,  estimating  the  distance  from  here  to 
Monte  Rey  at  120  leagues. 

Tuesday,  April  30. — At  seven  in  the  morning  I 
sent  with  a  dispatch  to  the  commander,  for  his  in- 
telligence and  guidance  in  what  he  ought  to  report 
to  his  Excellency,  the  plan  or  map^  of  the  port  of 
San  Francisco,  and  of  all  the  journey  which  I  made 
in  its  exploration. 

1  Evidently  they  went  through  the  gap  near  Glendale.   Porcitincula 
River  is  now  the  Los  Angeles. 

2  Made  by  Father  Font. 


168     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Wednesday,  May  1. — I  remained  at  the  mission. 
As  soon  as  it  was  daylight  I  advised  Commander 
Eivera  that  I  was  setting  out  today,  asking  if  he 
needed  more  time  to  write  to  his  Excellency,  but  he 
answered  me  that  he  did  not  and  that  his  reports 
would  overtake  me  in  the  night. 

Thursday,  May  2. — At  four  in  the  afternoon  I 
began  my  return  from  this  California  to  the  prov- 
ince of  Sonora,  with  the  ten  soldiers  of  my  company, 
Father  Fray  Pedro  Font,  the  commissary  of  the 
expedition  in  my  command,  and  eight  muleteers  who 
came  in  the  expedition  intending  to  return,  to  which 
are  added  my  servants  already  noted  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  diary.  Having  begun  our  march,  we  went 
east-northeast  for  two  leagues  and  crossed  the  river 
of  the  old  mission  of  San  Gabriel,  where  we  halted 
at  a  quarter  to  six  to  camp  for  the  night,  having 
traveled  this  distance  in  an  hour  and  three-quarters. 
— From  the  San  Francisco  River  to  the  ford  of  the 
San  Gabriel,  156  leagues. 

Friday,  May  3. — At  a  quarter  to  seven  we  con- 
tinued our  march  to  the  east-northeast,  in  which 
direction  we  traveled  five  leagues,  arriving  at  eleven 
o'clock  at  the  Arroyo  de  los  Alizos  or  Ossos,  where 
we  halted  to  pass  the  hottest  part  of  the  day,  and 
where  about  thirty  heathen  came  to  see  us.  From 
here  we  set  out  at  three  in  the  afternoon,  traveling 
over  a  good  plain  to  the  east-southeast  for  about 
four  and  one-half  leagues,  at  the  end  of  which  we 
halted  at  a  quarter  past  six,  to  camp  for  the  night 


ANZA'S  DIARY  169 

at  a  place  without  water  and  with  little  firewood, 
having  traveled  altogether  today  nine  and  one-half 
leagues  in  seven  and  one-half  hours. — From  the 
river  named  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Santa  Anna  River, 
165%  leagues. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  after  we  had  halted  a  cor- 
poral of  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel  came  to  our 
camp  and  delivered  a  letter  to  me  from  Comman- 
der Rivera,  which  I  will  present  at  the  proper  time. 
In  it  he  tells  me  that  because  he  lacked  the  time  to 
seal  a  paper  relating  to  a  criminal  who  took  refuge 
in  the  place  where  Mass  is  said  at  San  Diego,  and 
which  is  in  the  custody  of  the  minister  of  that  mis- 
sion, he  is  not  sending  me  a  letter  for  his  Excellency, 
and  in  order  that  I  may  not  be  delayed  he  is  reporting 
this  to  me.  After  this  he  goes  on  to  another  matter, 
foreign  to  anything  official,  and  concludes  with  a 
postscript  begging  me  to  excuse  him  to  his  Excel- 
lency for  not  writing  to  him  because  of  the  accident 
mentioned  at  the  beginning. 

This,  as  they  say,  is  the  matter  of  least  impor- 
tance for  the  information  of  his  Excellency,  and  of 
consequence  only  to  the  interested  party.  From  it 
one  infers  that  this  man  in  the  three  days  which  I 
gave  him  to  write,  those  which  he  had  by  reaching 
San  Gabriel  ahead  of  me,  and  a  part  of  today,  might 
have  employed  them  in  matters  which,  it  seems  to 
me,  are  more  important  for  the  information  of  that 
superior,  such  as  the  present  state  of  the  uprising 
at  San  Diego,  or  his  having  agreed  with  me  concern- 


170     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

ing  the  port  of  San  Francisco,  and  various  other 
things  important  to  his  command,  but  of  these  he 
makes  no  mention. 

Saturday,  May  4. — At  half  past  seven  I  ordered 
back  to  his  post  the  corporal  sent  to  me  by  Com- 
mander Rivera,  with  a  reply  to  his  letter,  a  copy  of 
which  I  will  present.  I  likewise  enclosed  one  which 
he  sent  with  mine  for  the  father  guardian  of  San 
Fernando  de  Mexico,  telling  him  that  I  was  not 
taking  it  because  I  did  not  consider  it  respectful  to 
his  Excellency,  to  whom  he  was  not  writing,  nor 
likewise  to  me.  A  little  before  seven  we  continued 
our  journey  to  the  east-southeast  for  a  league  and  a 
half,  when  we  came  to  the  Santa  Anna  River  and 
halted  on  its  banks  at  a  quarter  past  eight,  because 
we  had  to  camp  in  the  afternoon  without  water.  At 
half  past  twelve  we  resumed  our  march  and  con- 
tinued to  the  east-southeast  for  about  three  leagues. 
At  the  end  of  this  distance  we  finished  crossing  some 
low  hills,  from  which  we  continued  three  more 
leagues  to  the  southeast,  finishing  the  journey  at 
half  past  six,  after  traveling  seven  and  one-half 
leagues  in  the  same  number  of  hours.^ 

Sunday,  May  5. — At  half  past  six  we  continued 
our  journey  to  the  east  for  two  and  one-half  leagues, 
when  we  came  to  the  beginning  of  the  valley  of 
Senor  San  Joseph,  along  which  we  traveled  to  the 

1  Arroyo  de  los  Alisos  was  San  Antonio  Creek.  Camp  on  the  3d 
was  north  of  Santa  Ana  River,  in  the  vicinity  of  Pedley.  Camp  on 
the  4th  was  at  Bernaseoni  Pass,  west  of  Lakeview. 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  171 

east-southeast  three  more  leagues,  halting  at  eleven 
o^clock  on  its  river,  at  the  place  where  the  canyon 
of  San  Patricio  joins  it.  Up  this  canyon  we  again 
set  out  on  the  march  at  half  past  one,  and  having 
completed  it,  going  mainly  to  the  east  and  east- 
southeast,  in  which  direction  it  begins,  we  halted  at 
half  past  six,  having  traveled  six  leagues  in  five 
hours,  which,  together  with  the  foregoing,  made 
twelve  leagues  in  ten  hours.^ 

On  the  march  which  we  made  this  morning  along 
the  skirts  of  some  hills,  several  villages  of  heathen, 
which  are  united  to  harvest  their  grass  seeds,  dis- 
covered us  very  close  to  them.  Their  women  and 
children  fled  to  the  tops  of  the  hills,  but  the  men, 
who  must  have  been  a  few  less  than  a  hundred,  pre- 
sented themselves  armed  a  bow  shot  away.  I  made 
signs  that  they  should  be  quiet  and  that  I  did  not 
mean  to  do  them  any  damage.  Thereupon  many 
of  them  put  down  their  arms,  especially  the  one  who 
seemed  to  be  their  chief,  and  in  this  way  they  fol- 
lowed us  for  a  distance. — From  the  river  named  to 
San  Patricio,  177%  leagues. 

Monday,  May  6. — A  little  before  half  past  six 
we  set  forth  to  the  east-southeast  to  cross  the  rough 
country  of  the  valley  of  San  Patricio,  which  lasted 
for  two  and  one-half  leagues,  after  which  we  de- 
scended to  the  valley  of  El  Principe.    Crossing  this 

1  The  valley  of  Senor  San  Joseph  was  San  Jacinto  Valley.  Camp 
was  on  San  Jacinto  Eiver  above  San  Jacinto.  Camp  on  the  5th  at 
San  Patricio  was  at  the  head  of  Bautista  Canyon. 


172     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

valley  in  two  and  one-half  leagues  we  came  to  the 
opening  or  pass  of  San  Carlos.  From  here  we  con- 
tinued, descending  its  ridge.  Having  done  this,  we 
descended  its  principal  canyon,  which  runs  generally 
to  the  southeast,  with  some  turns  to  the  east-south- 
east, and  arrived  at  four  in  the  afternoon  at  Santa 
Catharina,  having  traveled  only  ten  leagues  in  nine 
and  one-half  hours,  because  most  of  the  terrain, 
especially  from  the  pass  to  this  place,  is  of  bad  foot- 
ing for  the  riding  animals.  In  passing  today 
through  San  Carlos,  and  on  our  arrival  here,  we 
encountered  in  the  two  places  more  than  a  hundred 
heathen,  who  comported  themselves  as  shyly  as 
usual,  not  wishing  to  come  to  us,  but  fleeing  instead 
to  the  summits  of  the  hills.  Today  there  was  a  fog 
so  laden  with  water  that  it  looked  like  rain,  and  a 
very  fierce  wind  which  continued  all  night. — From 
the  river  or  lake  of  San  Francisco  to  Santa  Catha- 
rina, 187%  leagues. 

Tuesday,  May  7. — At  five  we  resumed  our  way 
down  the  valley,  which  runs  to  the  east-southeast. 
In  this  direction  we  made  six  leagues,  reaching  San 
Gregorio  at  a  quarter  past  nine,  where  we  halted 
for  a  short  siesta  and  to  give  water  to  our  riding 
animals.  Having  accomplished  both  of  these  things, 
we  continued  our  march  to  the  east-southeast  for 
four  leagues,  after  which  we  made  three  and  one- 
half  more  to  the  east,  arriving  at  half-past  seven 
o^clock  at  night  at  San  Sebastian,  having  traveled 
thirteen  and  one-half  leagues  in  a  little  less  than 


ANZA'S  DIARY  173 

ten  hours.  At  this  place  we  left  the  valley  which 
we  have  followed  from  San  Carlos  to  here.^ — From 
the  river  named  to  San  Sebastian,  201  leagues. 

Wednesday,  May  8. — For  the  purpose  of  making 
our  transit  from  here  to  the  Colorado  Eiver  by  a 
more  direct  route,  and  for  the  fourth  time  to  seek 
a  watering  place  in  this  stretch,  I  decided  to  travel 
a  part  of  the  afternoon  in  order  that  the  riding 
animals  may  go  forth  watered,  so  that  they  can  go 
without  drinking  until  morning  if  we  do  not  find 
the  water  which  we  are  seeking.  We  set  forth  at  a 
quarter  to  three  toward  the  east,  and  traveled  about 
a  league  and  a  half,  at  the  end  of  which  we  came 
to  a  fair-sized  spring  of  turgid  water.  From  here 
we  continued  east-southeast,  over  level  land  without 
pasturage  or  any  large  trees,  leaving  at  our  right 
the  hills  or  dunes  of  sand  which  at  other  times  have 
greatly  troubled  us.  Then,  traveling  about  ten  and 
one-half  more  leagues,  at  half  past  eleven  at  night 
we  halted  to  give  some  rest  and  refreshment  to  our 
riding  animals  because  now  is  the  time  of  severe 
heat.  The  animals  had  nothing  to  eat  except  some 
little  sprouts  of  evil  taste,  although  they  had  trav- 
eled today  for  a  distance  of  twelve  leagues  in  eleven 

1  The  valley  of  El  Principe  was  the  eastern  portion  of  Cahuilla 
Valley,  near  Dry  Lake.  The  pass  of  San  Carlos  was  at  the  eastern 
extremity  of  Cahuilla  Valley,  at  Fred  Clark's  Corral.  From  here 
they  descended  Coyote  Canyon  to  Santa  Catharina  (Reed's  Springs, 
or  Lower  Willows).  San  Gregorio  was  on  San  Felipe  Creek  in  Bor- 
rego  Valley  and  San  Sebastian  was  at  Harper's  Well,  at  the  junction 
of  Carrizo  and  San  Felipe  creeks. 


174     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

and  three-fourths  hours.^ — From  the  river  named  to 
a  forlorn  plain,  213  leagues. 

Thursday,  May  9. — At  ^ve  we  resumed  our 
march,  continuing  in  the  same  direction  and  for  the 
same  purpose.  Some  points  of  sand  dunes  were 
crossed,  and  at  a  quarter  to  twelve,  having  traveled 
about  eight  leagues,  we  came  to  the  wells  of  El 
Carrizal,  alias  de  Alegria,  having  found  no  other 
water.  Here  we  halted  for  a  siesta  because  the  heat 
of  the  sun  was  extreme.  We  watered  our  animals  at 
its  wells,  which  we  found  abundant,  and  at  five  in 
the  afternoon  we  set  out  from  them  because  there 
was  no  pasturage,  in  order  to  reach  the  Colorado 
River,  which  we  did  at  the  site  of  Laguna  de  Santa 
Olaya,  having  spent  seven  hours  in  traveling  five 
leagues,  with  a  loss  of  two  or  more,  because  with  the 
darkness  of  the  night  and  the  thickness  of  the  brush 
in  these  neighborhoods,  it  cost  great  effort  to  find 
the  lake.^ — From  the  river  named  to  Laguna  de 
Santa  Olaya  at  the  Colorado  Eiver,  226  leagues. 

The  Indians  of  San  Sebastian  have  come  to 
pledge  peace  with  those  of  this  river,  notwithstand- 
ing that  for  some  time  back  they  have  enjoyed  this 
advantage.     Indeed,   the   Yumas   have   kept   their 

1  The  spring  a  league  and  a  half  east  of  San  Sebastian  was  Kane 
Spring.  From  here  the  route  was  near  the  highway  (perhaps  a  little 
to  the  west)  as  far  as  Westmoreland,  thence  southeast  to  camp  at 
Un  Parmo  Infeliz,  evidently  between  Imperial  and  Holtville. 

2  The  points  of  sand  were  crossed  in  the  vicinity  of  Casey.  El 
Carrizal  was  south  of  Cocopah,  and  Santa  Olaya  was  above  Pescadero 
Dam. 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  175 

promise  in  this  particular  with  the  greatest  exact- 
ness ever  since  I  urged  them  to  do  so.  It  is  too  bad 
that  this  advantage  is  not  sought  for  everybody  on 
the  road  which  we  have  opened  from  Sonora  to 
California,  for,  besides  the  benefit  which  all  the 
Indians  would  receive,  we  ourselves  would  profit  by 
it  for  communication  by  letter  from  one  place  to  the 
other.  The  matter  consists  merely  in  putting  two 
tribes  in  the  same  state  as  the  others,  namely,  the 
tribes  of  Santa  Catharina  and  the  valley  of  San 
Joseph,^  both  of  which  are  allied  with  and  related 
to  those  of  missions  San  Diego  and  San  Gabriel. 
I,  for  my  part,  would  have  had  this  matter  well 
under  way  if  I  had  found  an  interpreter  who  could 
make  himself  understood,  but  I  have  not  been  able 
to  obtain  one. 

Friday,  May  10. — The  marches  just  accom- 
plished, lacking  in  pasturage  and  good  water  and 
very  long,  have  been  very  hard  on  our  mounts,  and 
in  order  that  with  good  pasturage  and  good  water 
they  might  recuperate  somewhat,  I  decided  to  re- 
main this  afternoon  at  this  lake.  As  soon  as  day 
dawned  the  natives  of  the  place  began  to  come  to 
see  us,  sending  the  news  of  my  arrival  all  along  the 
river,  and  giving  me  to  understand  that  my  coming 
has  pleased  them.  This  tribe,  which  I  consider  the 
most  worthy  of  all  who  live  on  the  river,  as  soon  as 
they  saw  me,  had  the  hospitality  and  the  generosity 
to  bring  me  in  abundance  maize,  beans,  hard-shelled 

1  Santa  Catharina  was  at  Beed  *s  Springs  in  Coyote  Canyon,  and 
the  Valley  of  San  Joseph  was  San  Jacinto  Valley. 


176     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

squashes  and  others  of  their  foods,  without  asking 
any  recompense  for  them,  but  of  course  I  have  paid 
them.  At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  set  forth 
up  the  Colorado  Eiver,  continuing  to  the  east  and 
the  north,  in  which  direction  it  goes,  and,  making 
turns  and  going  through  various  villages  of  the 
Cahuen  tribe  which  we  passed,  we  arrived  at  half 
past  six  at  Laguna  de  los  Coxas,  where  we  halted 
for  the  night,  having  traveled  four  leagues  in  three 
and  one-half  hours. — From  the  river  named  to  La- 
guna de  los  Cojas,  230  leagues. 

Saturday,  May  11. — A  little  before  five  o'clock 
we  resumed  our  march,  continuing  along  the  same 
river  in  the  directions  just  mentioned,  passing  many 
villages,  whose  people  in  large  numbers  and  of  both 
sexes  followed  us,  very  joyful,  from  one  village  to 
another,  until  at  eleven  o'clock  we  reached  the  little 
pass  of  La  Concepcion,  where  we  halted,  having 
traveled  seven  and  one-half  leagues  in  six  hours.^ — 
From  the  river  named  to  the  junction  of  the  Colo- 
rado and  the  Gila,  2371/2  leagues. 

At  this  place  I  met  Father  Thomas  Eziarc,  one 
of  the  two  friars  sent  by  his  Excellency,  the  Vice- 
roy, to  remain  at  this  river  until  I  should  return, 
for  the  instruction  and  catechism  of  the  tribes  which 
inhabit  it.  Since  they  will  make  their  report  to  the 
viceroy  separately,  I  omit  it  and  will  only  say  that 
to  me  they  report  very  favorably  and  in  keeping 

1  Laguna  de  los  Cojas  was  half  way  from  Pescadero  Dam  to  Pilot 
Knob  (Algodones).  The  pass  of  La  Concepcion  was  at  Fort  Yuma 
Indian  School. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  177 

with  what  was  expected  of  these  heathen,  especially 
the  Yuma  tribe,  and  their  Captain  Palma,  who  has 
not  left  the  side  of  the  father  mentioned  during  all 
the  time  that  he  has  been  here,  serving  him  and  pre- 
senting him  with  everything  beyond  belief;  as  well 
as  cooperating  by  his  example  in  the  principal  pur- 
pose for  which  the  father  has  been  sent  here,  hoping 
with  him  for  the  establishment  of  the  true  faith  in 
this  region,  which  also  has  been  requested  by  other 
tribes  allied  with  the  Yumas. 

Father  Fray  Francisco  Garces,  that  tireless  soul, 
with  only  one  servant,  has  traveled  through  many 
tribes  of  this  river,  above  and  below  this  place  and 
apart  from  it.  He  also  will  give  his  own  report.  I 
did  not  find  him  here,  but  I  did  hear  that  he  is  with 
the  tribe  of  the  Galchedunes,  the  first  of  whom  may 
be  fifteen  or  twenty  leagues  from  here. 

Sunday,  May  12. — At  five  I  sent  a  messenger 
with  a  letter  from  me  for  Father  Garces,  telling  him 
of  my  return  and  that  I  am  waiting  to  see  if  he 
wishes  to  go  out  with  me,  summoning  him,  in  case 
he  should  be  at  the  place  where  they  have  said,  for 
the  14th  of  the  present  month,  and  assuring  him  that 
in  case  he  does  not  come  I  shall  leave  him  various 
provisions  for  his  subsistence,  as  he  by  a  letter 
requests  me. 

At  night  Palma,  captain  of  the  Yumas,  came 
accompanied  by  two  subordinates  to  beg  me  to  take 
him  to  Mexico  as  I  promised,  to  present  him  to  his 
Excellency  the  Viceroy,  so  that  he  may  repeat  in 
person  the  petition  that  he  may  be  permitted  to 


178     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

become  a  vassal  of  his  Majesty,  and  that  he  be 
granted  ministers  to  instruct  his  tribe  and  others, 
his  allies,  in  the  true  faith,  to  which  they  are  ready 
to  submit  themselves.  In  response  to  his  request 
I  told  him  to  do  what  he  might  think  best  and  advise 
me.  To  this  he  replied  that  he  had  already  advised 
and  consulted  with  his  people,  and  that  they  gladly 
agreed ;  and  that  he  was  therefore  presenting  me  his 
two  subalterns  mentioned,  having  already  charged 
them  to  conserve  the  peace  which  they  now  enjoy, 
the  possession  of  their  lands,  and  the  crops  which  he 
has  indicated  to  them  for  their  better  conservation 
and  union  during  his  absence;  and  that  they  had 
promised  strictly  to  fulfill  these  orders,  as  well  as 
everything  which  I  might  wish  to  command  them. 
Having  advised  concerning  this  matter  with  the 
two  fathers  who  are  with  me,  we  agreed  to  the 
request  mentioned,  reporting  this  result  to  the 
petitioners,  with  the  comment  that,  to  provide  for 
every  contingency,  at  least  three  others  of  their 
people  ought  to  accompany  Captain  Palma,  in  order 
that  they  may  be  witnesses  to  the  good  treatment 
which  he  may  receive  and  of  whatever  else  may  take 
place.  This  decision,  which  had  never  been  even 
imagined  by  any  of  them,  was  to  them  a  matter  of 
the  greatest  satisfaction  and  pleasure,  and  they 
agreed  to  put  it  into  effect  and  did  so.  Likewise, 
about  two  hundred  nien  showed  their  satisfaction  by 
manifesting  to  me  that  their  captain  was  going  upon 
this  journey  with  the  approval  of  the  tribe. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  179 

Monday,  May  13. — ^Yesterday  I  began  assembling 
logs  suitable  for  making  a  raft,  because  without 
one  this  river  is  impassable.  Where  it  has  three 
branches  its  current  now  is  more  than  eight  hundred 
varas  wide.  Although  one  might  wish  to  cross  here 
with  this  advantage,  it  is  impossible  because  of  the 
great  marshes  encountered  before  reaching  it  and 
after  entering  it,  to  which  are  added  very  dense 
thickets.  So  there  is  nothing  else  to  do  except  to 
cross  it  at  this  place  of  La  Concepcion,  and  for  a 
quarter  of  a  league  below,  where  the  river  is  nar- 
rowed to  about  a  hundred  varas,  although  it  has  a 
very  rapid  current  and  dangerous  whirlpools. 

Having  launched  the  raft  and  concluded  at  ten 
0  'clock  the  loading  of  some  people  and  a  part  of  our 
equipage,  everything  was  guided  by  twenty-three 
Yumas,  who  labored  very  hard  against  the  rapid 
current  to  reach  the  other  side.  It  was  even  more 
difficult  to  return,  and  this  was  not  accomplished 
until  half  past  three  in  the  afternoon.  At  four 
o'clock  we  dispatched  another  raftload,  and  the 
force  of  the  current  drove  it  much  farther  down 
than  the  first,  and  its  guides  found  it  so  impossible 
to  bring  it  back  whole  that  they  took  it  apart  in 
order  to  bring  it  back  tomorrow  in  pieces. 

Tuesday,  May  14. — In  the  morning  the  river  was 
much  higher  than  yesterday.  For  this  reason,  and 
since  our  raftsmen  raised  objections  because  of  the 
great  force  of  the  stream,  in  order  to  get  all  our 
train  across  I  decided  to  proceed  to  taking  it  over 


180     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

in  small  portions  or  pieces  which  could  find  room  in 
baskets  of  mud  and  willows  which  they  furnished. 
Even  the  women  of  this  tribe,  who  possess  greater 
dexterity  in  swimming  than  the  men,  offered  to  take 
them  over.  This  operation  was  begun  at  seven 
o^clock  in  the  morning.  There  was  one  woman  who 
carried  a  fanega  of  beans  and  asked  for  her  labor 
only  two  strings  of  glass  beads,  although  five  would 
not  have  been  excessive.  Nevertheless  they  were 
more  than  satisfied,  it  may  be  said.  For  this  pay 
they  swam  in  going  and  returning  more  than  fifteen 
hundred  yards,  and  yet  they  lost  no  time  in  return- 
ing to  the  labor,  that  is,  the  few  who  took  part  in 
it,  for  there  were  not  enough  suitable  vessels  for 
more.  In  twelve  trips  they  finished  the  carrying. 
At  a  quarter  to  six  two  rafts  were  completed  and 
they  now  loaded  them  with  the  rest  of  our  men  and 
the  things  which  could  not  be  reduced  to  small 
pieces.  The  smaller  raft  was  guided  by  thirty 
Yumas,  and  the  larger  one,  on  which  I  embarked 
at  that  time  with  the  two  fathers,  the  commissary, 
and  other  soldiers,  was  accompanied  by  about  forty. 
"When  it  left  the  shore  it  sank  a  little,  and  immedi- 
ately more  than  two  hundred  persons,  including 
some  women,  who  were  watching  us  nearby,  jumped 
in  to  aid  us.  After  this  we  continued  our  passage, 
which  took  us  only  twelve  and  a  half  minutes,  in 
which  time  we  must  have  sailed  more  than  about 
eight  hundred  varas.  As  soon  as  we  left  the  river 
we  went  to  our  encampment,  which  was  about  an 


ANZA'S  DIARY  181 

eighth  of  a  league  away.  Here  we  reassembled 
everything  which  was  already  on  this  side  and  here 
we  spent  the  night. 

Wednesday,  May  15. — As  soon  as  it  was  daylight 
I  gave  orders  to  begin  to  send  back  to  the  other  side 
the  logs  of  one  of  our  rafts,  so  that  they  might 
bring  to  this  side  for  me  two  soldiers  and  a  boy  of 
mine  who  yesterday,  at  the  time  when  the  raft  in 
which  they  were  accompanying  me  sank,  returned 
frightened  to  land,  at  the  risk  of  drowning,  if  the 
land  had  not  been  so  close  and  there  had  been  no 
one  to  aid  in  pulling  them  out,  for,  possessed  by 
their  fear,  they  jumped  in  with  their  clothing  on 
and  with  other  impedimenta  which  would  have  con- 
tributed to  their  destruction. 

I  have  said  on  another  occasion  that  by  keeping 
the  tribes  which  dwell  on  this  large-volumed  river 
attached  to  us,  we  shall  be  able  to  cross  it  without 
great  difficulty,  but  that  otherwise  it  will  be  almost 
impossible,  and  I  now  assert  this  still  more  em- 
phatically, since  with  the  aid  of  their  native  experts 
it  has  cost  us  four  days  of  toil.  Nearly  everything 
has  been  done  voluntarily  by  these  natives,  and  yet 
I  am  able  to  testify  that  in  all  this  journey  I  have 
not  been  so  overheated  or  so  tired  out  anywhere 
else  as  here  in  effecting  the  crossing,  and  without 
their  help  it  probably  would  have  taken  me  twice  as 
long. 

Likewise  I  have  stated  that  only  at  the  place 
where  the  Gila  joins  the  Colorado,  crossing  the  two 


182     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

separately,  is  there  a  ford  in  the  dry  season.  This 
is  only  in  the  months  from  December  to  the  middle 
of  February,  for  all  the  rest  of  the  year  the  Colo- 
rado Eiver  is  unfordable  even  if  not  in  flood.  And 
when  the  flood  comes  the  best  crossing  is  here,  they 
all  say,  for  as  I  have  said  before  there  is  the  advan- 
tage that  here  it  runs  narrowed  between  knolls  and 
hills  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  league.  The  rest  of 
the  way,  downstream,  it  widens  out  in  its  various 
branches  as  much  as  five  leagues,  and  all  require 
rafts,  for  although  not  all  may  be  deep  they  are 
impassable  because  of  the  miry  quality  of  the  mud. 
Just  now  it  must  already  be  about  three  leagues 
wide  in  those  places,  and  the  greatest  flood  has  not 
yet  come,  for  that  occurs  from  now  to  the  middle 
or  the  end  of  July. 

The  fertility  of  the  lands  of  this  river  we  have 
witnessed  on  two  former  occasions,  and  now  also, 
for  besides  the  abundant  harvest  of  wheat  which 
they  are  gathering,  its  natives  still  have  many  kinds 
of  beans,  maize,  hard-shelled  squashes  and  other 
foods. 

At  half  past  eight  the  men  and  the  remainder  of 
the  baggage  finished  crossing,  and  I  therefore  de- 
cided to  leave  this  river,  to  continue  my  march  along 
the  road  which  runs  to  the  pueblos  nearest  to  the 
Gulf  of  California,  having  heard  that  there  is  water 
in  the  places  through  which  I  passed  on  the  first 
journey,  and  wishing  to  save  more  than  sixty 
leagues  in  order  to  get  on  my  way  to  Mexico. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  183 

A  little  before  twelve  o'clock  they  reported  to 
me  from  the  other  side  that  one  of  our  men  had 
arrived  there.  Assuming  at  once  that  he  must  be 
some  deserter,  I  ordered  them  to  bring  him  over, 
and  this  having  been  done  it  turned  out  as  I  have 
said.  In  fact  he  is  one  of  those  whom  I  had  sen- 
tenced for  this  very  offence  to  work  on  the  fort  of 
San  Francisco,  but  by  disposition  of  Commander 
Moncada  during  my  absence  on  the  exploration  for 
the  location  of  the  mentioned  fort  three  of  them 
were  transferred  to  the  presidio  of  San  Diego. 
From  there,  he  declares,  he  fled  on  the  5th  of  the 
present  month,  for  he  was  not  kept  in  any  prison. 
He  says  that  he  had  no  difficulties  in  his  journey 
except  that  an  attempt  was  made  to  kill  him  by  ten 
heathen  of  a  number  whom  he  met.  He  came  un- 
armed, and  was  lost  for  three  days  off  the  road 
which  he  was  following,  but  he  did  not  lack  water 
to  drink  during  that  time.  He  again  found  his  way 
and  came  out  at  Laguna  de  Santa  Olaya,  which  he 
says  he  judges  would  be  about  thirty  leagues  from 
San  Diego,  with  watering  places  accommodated  to 
the  transit.  I  asked  him  in  what  condition  he  left 
the  Indians  of  San  Diego,  and  he  says  that  now, 
in  the  absence  of  Commander  Eivera,  they  have 
arrested  the  Indian  Francisco,  prime  mover  of  the 
rebellion  which  took  place  in  that  district,  and  that 
others  have  come  to  give  themselves  up,  especially 
those  of  the  village  of  Las  Chollas,  and  that  besides 
these  he  heard  it  said  that  all  were  disposed  to  do 
the  same. 


184     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

When  we  were  ready  to  march,  a  great  many 
heathen  of  both  sexes  came  to  bid  us  goodbye,  for 
they  know  how  to  do  this,  as  well  as  to  salute  by 
shaking  hands.  Among  them  came  the  two  sub- 
alterns who  are  to  remain  with  the  powers  of  Cap- 
tain Palma.  All  urged  me  to  come  back  bringing 
fathers  and  Spaniards,  and  they  repeated  the  same 
to  their  captain.  I  charged  them  not  to  forget 
to  obey  my  orders  and  those  of  their  general,  so 
that  thereby  they  might  prove  themselves  deserving 
of  the  favor  which  they  were  asking,  and  which  on 
my  part  I  promised  to  solicit  for  them  from  the 
charity  of  his  Excellency.  At  five  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  we  set  forth  on  the  march,  ascending  the 
Gila  River  toward  the  east  and  east-southeast,  in 
which  direction  we  traveled  about  five  leagues,  until 
half  past  nine,  when  we  halted  to  pass  the  night  by 
the  Cerros  del  Cajon.^ — From  the  river  named  to 
the  Cerros  del  Cajon  on  the  Gila  River,  242% 
leagues. 

1  The  Cerros  del  Cajon  were  at  the  east  end  of  the  pass  through 
the  Gila  Range,  near  Dome. 


FROM  YUMA  TO  HORCASITAS 

Thursday,  May  16. — A  little  before  five  o'clock 
we  continued  along  the  same  river  and  in  the  same 
direction  of  east-northeast,  until  we  had  covered  three 
leagues,  after  which  we  traveled  four  more  and 
reached  Laguna  Salada^  on  the  same  river,  making 
a  total  of  seven  leagues  traveled  in  five  and  a  half 
hours.  Here  we  halted  for  the  night  because  it  was 
a  site  with  some  pasturage  and  because  here  we  have 
to  leave  the  river.  Nearly  to  this  place  the  river 
is  settled  with  Yumas,  whereas  two  years  ago,  on 
account  of  the  wars  which  they  waged  with  the 
Cocomaricopas,  there  was  not  a  footprint  of  either 
tribe  to  be  seen  in  a  stretch  of  more  than  thirty 
leagues.  But  now  one  finds  the  roads  well  opened 
and  sees  their  people  very  frequently,  a  benefit 
which  has  been  brought  to  them  by  the  peace  estab- 
lished between  them. — From  the  river  named  to 
Laguna  Salada  on  the  Gila  River,  249%  leagues. 

Friday,  May  17. — Since  the  next  watering  place 
was  quite  distant,  and  it  was  not  easy  to  reach  it 
before  eleven  o'clock,  when  the  sun  overcomes  men 
and  animals,  because  it  is  extremely  hot,  I  decided 
to  start  from  this  place  in  the  afternoon,  and  did 
so  at  three  o'clock,  going  southeast  for  about  two 

1  Laguna  Salada  was  some  five  miles  west  of  Wellton. 


186     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

leagues  over  good  terrain.  This  continuing,  we 
marched  to  the  east-southeast  for  six  more  leagues 
and  arrived  at  half  past  eleven  at  night  at  the  Pozos 
de  en  Medio,  which  afforded  some  water  for  drink- 
ing, and  where  we  halted  for  the  rest  of  the  night, 
having  traveled  eight  leagues  in  the  same  number 
of  hours.  By  digging,  these  wells  afford  water 
for  a  large  number  of  saddle  animals  even  in  the 
dry  season  like  the  present.  They  have  plentiful 
pasturage,  which  is  likewise  found  all  along  the 
road  which  we  have  followed.  For  this  reason  and 
because  it  is  free  from  stones  it  is  always  better 
than  the  one  which  up  to  now  has  been  traveled  to 
the  junction  of  the  rivers.^ — From  the  river  named 
to  the  Pozos  de  en  Medio,  257%  leagues. 

Saturday,  May  18. — At  five  we  resumed  our 
march,  going  east-southeast  over  the  road  which 
runs  from  these  wells  to  the  Tinajas  de  la  Cande- 
laria,  where  we  arrived  at  half  past  nine,  having 
traveled  five  leagues.  Going  to  examine  them  I 
found  that  they  had  plenty  of  water  even  for  more 
animals  than  those  which  we  had  with  us,  which 
they  took  to  water  twice.  The  sun  being  now  low, 
at  six  o^clock  in  the  afternoon  we  continued  our 
march,  which  was  made  for  three  leagues  to  the 
east-southeast  over  the  regular  road  opened  on  our 
first  journey.  Having  finished  this  distance  and  the 
crossing  of  some  hills,  and  leaving  these  and  the 
road  which  we  had  followed,  we  turned  to  the  east 

1  He  means  that  this  route  is  better  than  that  through  Tinajas 
Altas  Pass. 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  187 

for  about  nine  leagues  when  we  arrived  at  Puerto 
Blanco/ — From  the  river  named  to  Puerto  Blanco, 
266%  leagues. 

Sunday,  May  19. — Continuing  our  march  from 
the  last-named  site  without  interruption  during  the 
whole  night,  going  southeast  three  leagues,  then 
three  others  to  the  east-southeast,  making  a  total  of 
eighteen  leagues  in  eighteen  and  a  half  hours,^  we 
arrived  at  half  past  eleven  o'clock  at  the  Arroyo  de 
Sonoitac  and  the  site  of  El  Carrizal,  where  we  found 
water  and  fairly  good  pasturage  in  abundance  and 
where  we  halted  to  remain  the  rest  of  this  day.  In 
this  day's  march  and  the  two  preceding  we  have  lost 
six  saddle  animals,  most  of  them  being  those  which 
I  left  at  the  Colorado  Eiver,  where  they  had  im- 
proved very  little  in  flesh. — From  the  river  named 
to  Arroyo  del  Carrisal  or  de  Sonoitac,  284%  leagues. 

Monday,  May  20. — At  a  quarter  past  five  we  set 
out  from  El  Carrizal  and  traveled  to  the  east  eight 
leagues  in  six  hours,  until  we  reached  the  ruined 
mission  of  Sonoitac.  Eemaining  there  until  half  past 
five  in  the  afternoon,  we  resumed  our  march,  taking 
the  road  which  goes  to  Quitobac.  On  this  road  we 
made  three  leagues  to  the  southeast  and  south-south- 
east along  the  skirts  of  some  hills,  where  at  half  past 

1  Pozos  de  en  Medio  were  at  Coyote  Water,  near  Tina j as  Altas. 
Tinajas  de  la  Candelaria,  formerly  called  Tinajas  de  la  Purifieaeion, 
were  Cabeza  Prieta  Tanks.  From  Candelaria  Anza  followed  his  old 
trail  past  Tule  Well  through  Tule  Eange,  and  then,  instead  of  swing- 
ing east  to  Aguaje  Empinado  (Heart  Tank)  in  Sierra  Pinta,  he 
made  straight  for  Puerto  Blanco  in  the  O'Neill  Hills.  Font  is 
apparently  wrong  at  this  point  in  his  diary. 

2  Since  six  o  'clock  the  night  before. 


188     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

eight  we  halted  for  the  night  at  a  site  with  good  pas- 
turage, completing  today's  journey  of  eleven  leagues 
in  the  same  number  of  hours. — From  the  river  named 
to  the  place  halfway  to  Quitobac,  295i/^  leagues. 

Tuesday,  May  21.— At  half  past  four  we  set  forth 
on  our  way  by  the  same  road,  still  along  the  hills 
which  we  bore  on  our  right,  and  which  have  forced 
us  to  travel  in  general  to  the  south.  In  this  direction 
we  made  five  leagues,  whereby  in  the  same  number 
of  hours  we  reached  the  village  of  Quitobac.^  From 
here,  after  the  greatest  heat  of  the  sun  had  passed, 
we  set  out  at  half  past  four  in  the  afternoon  and 
traveled  east-southeast  for  two  and  a  half  leagues, 
skirting  some  small  hills  on  the  right.  At  the  end  of 
this  distance  we  continued  southeast  for  another 
league  and  a  half  and  then  turned  south  and  south- 
east for  two  more,  having  passed  the  hills  mentioned. 
Then,  immediately  entering  a  valley  without  water 
or  pasturage,  we  traveled  over  it  to  the  southeast  for 
about  three  and  a  half  leagues,  and  halted  at  half 
past  eleven  o'clock  at  night  at  a  place  with  pastur- 
age in  the  flat  of  San  Juan  de  Mata,  having  traveled 
twelve  hours  and  made  fourteen  leagues  during  the 
whole  day. — From  the  river  named  to  the  flat  of 
San  Juan  de  Mata,  209%  leagues. 

Wednesday,  May  22. — A  little  before  half  past 
five  we  resumed  our  march,  going  southeast  and  like- 
wise following  a  nearby  chain  of  medium-sized  hills 
on  the  right.  Having  made  five  and  a  half  leagues,  a 

1  From  Puerto  Blanco  Anza  followed  his  old  trail  through  El 
Carrizal,  Sonoita,  Quitobac,  San  Juan  de  Mata,  and  San  Ildefonso, 
to  Caborca. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  189 

little  after  eleven  o^clock  we  reached  the  wells  of 
San  Eduardo  de  la  Arivaipia,  which  beforehand  I 
had  ordered  opened.  We  found  in  them  much  more 
water  than  we  needed,  and  here  we  halted  until  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Then  we  continued  our 
march  over  a  made  road,  on  which  we  traveled  six 
leagues,  arriving  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night  at  the 
flat  of  San  Yldephonzo  where  we  halted  to  rest  for 
the  remainder  of  the  night,  having  traveled  eleven 
and  a  half  leagues  in  almost  eleven  hours. — From 
the  river  named  to  the  flat  of  San  Yldephonzo,  221 
leagues. 

At  this  place  it  became  necessary  to  redouble  our 
care  and  vigilance,  since  it  is  in  the  path  of  the 
Apaches,  and  because  the  Papago  Indians  whom  I 
have  left  behind  have  heard  of  frequent  robberies 
and  murders  made  by  them  at  the  mission  of  Caborca 
and  neighboring  pueblos,  which  until  the  present 
year  it  may  be  said  were  free  from  such  occurrences, 
or  at  least  were  in  very  different  circumstances. 

Thursday,  May  23. — At  five  o'clock  we  resumed 
our  journey  over  a  continuous  road  to  the  southeast, 
with  some  slight  turns  to  the  east-southeast.  In 
these  directions  we  traveled  six  leagues  and  arrived 
at  twelve  o'clock  at  the  mission  of  Caborca,  where 
we  halted  to  spend  the  day,  having  made  the  six 
leagues  in  the  same  number  of  hours. — From  the 
river  named  to  the  mission  of  Caborca,  227  leagues. 

At  four  0  'clock  in  the  afternoon  I  sent  a  letter  by 
two  of  my  soldiers  to  the  captain  of  the  presidio  of 
El  Altar,  distant  from  here  eight  or  nine  leagues. 


190     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

asking  him  for  some  saddle  animals  to  enable  me  to 
go  forward,  since  the  greater  part  of  ours  are  now 
in  very  bad  condition  because  of  the  great  distance 
which  they  have  covered.  The  bearers  carried  orders 
to  return  tomorrow  by  midday,  so  that  we  might 
continue  our  march  in  the  afternoon.  The  mission- 
ary fathers  of  this  pueblo  have  confirmed  the  re- 
ports which  the  Papago  Indians  gave  me  concerning 
the  murders  and  robberies  perpetrated  by  the 
Apaches  in  this  vicinity,  to  which  they  have  added 
other  and  greater  atrocities  that  have  occurred  in 
various  places,  especially  on  the  way  from  the  min- 
ing camp  of  La  Cieneguilla  to  the  presidio  of  San 
Miguel,  over  which  I  have  to  travel. 

Friday,  May  24. — Since  the  two  soldiers  whom  I 
sent  to  the  presidio  of  El  Altar  for  the  purpose 
already  stated  did  not  return  until  nightfall,  I  was 
not  able  to  set  out  today. 

Saturday,  May  25. — At  ten  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing the  soldiers  returned  with  the  aid  which  I  had 
asked  for.  At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  set 
forth  on  the  camino  real  to  La  Cieneguilla,  which 
runs  east-southeast  all  the  way  from  here  to  the 
presidio  of  San  Miguel  de  Horcacitas.  Having 
followed  it  until  eleven  o  'clock  at  night,  and  traveled 
eight  leagues,  we  halted  at  that  hour  to  rest  a  while. 

Sunday,  May  26. — At  four  o'clock  we  resumed 
our  march  over  good  terrain,  the  same  as  yesterday 
afternoon,  and  having  covered  about  six  leagues,  by 
nine  o  'clock  we  arrived  at  the  Eeal  de  la  Cieneguilla, 


ANZA'S  DIARY  191 

where  we  halted  to  pass  this  day.^ — From  the  river 
named  to  the  Eeal  de  la  Cieneguilla,  247  leagues. 

This  mining  camp,  as  is  well  known,  and  that  of 
San  Antonio  de  la  Hnerta,  are  the  only  ones  in  the 
province  of  Sonora  which  continue  their  production 
of  gold,  because  both  of  them  are  free  from  the  pira- 
cies of  the  Apaches.  The  first  one  even  now  produces 
weekly  from  sixty  to  sixty-five  marks  of  gold,  the 
second,  as  they  tell  me,  a  little  less,  and  if  these 
enemies  would  permit  laborers  to  enter,  and  espe- 
cially to  the  first  one,  its  output  would  be  much 
greater.  But  these  cruel  barbarians  deprive  us  of 
these  benefits  and  of  even  greater  ones  which  we 
should  enjoy,  even  in  the  farthest  interior,  it  is  more 
than  probable.  Within  a  short  time,  I  believe,  they 
will  close  the  roads  to  this  Cieneguilla,  which  even 
now  is  traveled  with  imponderable  risk,  so  that  very 
few  have  the  courage  to  undertake  it.  To  this  camp 
they  have  to  bring  from  the  interior  and  the  exterior 
of  the  provinces  the  provisions  and  other  effects  of 
commerce  necessary  for  its  subsistence,  and  if  they 
are  not  obtained  it  is  inevitable  that  it  will  come  to 
a  complete  stop,  as  has  happened  to  others  equal  if 
not  better,  which  for  the  same  causes  are  deserted 
and  unworked,  with  notable  injury  to  the  royal  es- 
tate and  to  their  inhabitants. 

Monday,  May  27. — This  morning  advice  was 
given  by  the  interior  pueblos  that  a  party  of  more 

1  From  Caborca  to  Horcasitas  Anza  was  on  a  trail  new  to  this 
expedition.  La  Cieneguilla  (now  Ci^nega),  Cerro  Prieto,  La  Tortuga, 
La  Mesa,  and  Horcasitas  are  all  places  still  on  the  map. 


192     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

than  a  hundred  mounted  hostile  Apaches  had  taken 
the  roads  which  come  to  this  real.  For  this  reason  I 
thought  it  best  to  wait  here  today  to  ascertain  what 
may  result,  in  order  to  watch  the  party  with  the 
troops  which  are  with  me. 

Tuesday,  May  28. — ^As  soon  as  it  was  daylight  I 
sent  out  the  party  of  ten  soldiers  who  are  with  me 
to  explore  round  about  this  real,  but  they  returned 
at  midday  and  reported  that  they  had  not  seen  any 
signs  of  the  enemy. 

Wednesday,  May  29. — At  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  I  set  forth  from  this  real,  where  I  was 
joined  by  two  pack  trains  of  mules,  that  I  might  es- 
cort them,  and  with  them  I  camped  after  nightfall 
without  any  mishap  at  Cerro  Prieto,  to  which  we 
had  traveled  about  seven  leagues  in  the  same  number 
of  hours. — From  the  river  named  to  Cerro  Prieto, 
248  leagues. 

Thursday,  May  30. — Having  moved  our  train,  at 
five  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  resumed  our  march 
and  arrived  at  eleven  o'clock  at  El  Tecolote.  Here 
we  remained  until  two  o'clock,  when  we  finished 
watering  our  mounts,  which  was  done  with  due  pre- 
caution because  we  noted  on  our  arrival  that  four 
enemies  had  done  the  same  a  little  while  before. 
Then,  setting  out  at  that  hour,  we  traveled  until 
vespers  and  halted  for  the  night  in  the  neighborhood 
of  La  Tortuga,  having  traveled  to  this  place  today 
ten  leagues  in  the  same  number  of  hours. — From  the 
river  named  to  La  Tortuga,  258  leagues. 


Last  page  of  Anza  's  diary. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  193 

Friday,  May  31. — A  little  before  five  o'clock  we 
raised  our  train  and  traveled  five  leagues,  as  far  as 
El  Pozo  de  Crisanto,  remaining  there  until  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  we  continued  our 
march  for  five  more  leagues,  concluding  today's 
journey  after  nightfall  at  La  Mesa.  At  the  time 
when  we  halted  for  the  night  the  rear  guard  dis- 
covered a  band  of  enemies  who  in  deep  silence 
crossed  our  road  to  hide  themselves  in  a  nearby 
wood.  With  this  report  it  was  necessary  for  us  to 
take  up  arms,  and  in  this  way  we  passed  the  night, 
all  the  time  expecting  an  attack. — From  the  river 
named  to  La  Mesa,  268  leagues. 

Saturday,  June  1. — As  soon  as  it  was  broad  day- 
light I  set  out  with  four  soldiers  to  reconnoiter  the 
country,  but  I  found  nothing  more  than  the  tracks  of 
about  thirty  of  the  enemies  mentioned,  who  were 
headed  in  a  different  direction  from  the  way  we  were 
going.  Therefore  I  continued  on  this  road  with  my 
train  for  two  leagues,  at  the  end  of  which  I  reached 
the  presidio  of  San  Miguel  de  Horcacitas,  whence  I 
shall  continue  my  march  to  Mexico,  as  I  have  been 
ordered  by  his  Excellency  the  Viceroy,  and  where  I 
conclude  this  diary  on  the  day  and  year  mentioned. 
— From  the  river  or  lake  of  San  Francisco  to  the 
presidio  of  San  Miguel  de  Horcacitas,  where  this 
diary  ends,  270  leagues,  the  total,  going  and  coming, 
amounting  to  823  leagues,  to  which  are  to  be  added 
seventy  leagues  which  are  estimated  from  here  to 
the  presidio  of  Tubac. 

Juan  Bap.'^^  de  Anza  (Eubric). 


ADDENDA 

Memoeandum  of  the  Obseevations  Made  Dueing 
THE  Expedition  Undee  My  Command  feom 

THE  PeOVINCE  of  SoNOEA  TO  NoETHEEN 

Califoenia  Mentioned  in  the 

FOEEGOING   DlAEY^ 

For  the  reasons  concerning  this  matter  which  are 
set  forth  in  the  diary,  the  day  when  the  observation 
was  made  and  the  altitude  indicated  by  the  quad- 
rant are  given  here,  from  which,  as  has  been  said, 
we  afterward  shall  compute  the  latitude  of  each 
place,  in  which,  as  I  have  likewise  said,  I  do  not 
claim  accuracy,  through  not  being  sure  of  the  accu- 
racy of  the  tables  by  which  we  have  been  guided. 

Eeal  de  Santa  Anna  in  the  Pimeria  Alta,  prov- 
ince and  alcaldia  of  Sonora,  October  7,  1775,  the 
quadrant  showed  the  meridian  altitude  of  the  lower 
limb  of  the  sun  to  be  53°  28'.  With  this  observation 
and  the  addition  of  the  corresponding  minutes  and 
the  rest  for  the  complement  or  reduction  of  the  alti- 
tude, we  will  say  (as  for  the  following  places)  that 
this  place  is  in  latitude  30°  46'. 

Pueblo  of  San  Ygnacio  in  the  same  province  and 
alcaldia.  On  the  10th  of  the  same  month  and  year 
the  quadrant  indicated  52°  10'.  Latitude  of  this 
place  30°  551/2'. 

1  These  observations  were  made  by  Father  Font  and  are  essen- 
tially the  same  aa  the  uncorrected  results  given  in  his  diary. 


ANZA'S  DIARY  195 

Royal  Presidio  of  Tubac.  On  the  21st  of  the 
same  month  the  quadrant  indicated  47°  16'.  Lati- 
tude of  this  place  31°  451/2'. 

Pueblo  del  Tuczon,  the  last  pueblo  on  the  north- 
ern border  of  the  same  province  and  alcaldia,  where 
now  exists  the  former  presidio.  On  the  27th  of  the 
same  month  the  quadrant  indicated  44°  26'.  Lati- 
tude of  this  place  32°  30'. 

Casa  del  Rio  Gila.  On  the  31st  of  the  same 
month  the  quadrant  indicated  44°  25'.  Latitude  of 
this  place  33°  35'. 

Point  of  the  Sierra  de  San  Pasqual  on  the  same 
river.  On  November  19th  of  the  same  year  the 
quadrant  indicated  37°  20'.    Latitude  of  this  place 

32°  54'. 

Cerro  de  Santa  Cicilia,  alias  del  Metate,  on  the 
same  river.  On  the  24th  of  the  same  month  the 
quadrant  indicated  36°  24'.    Latitude  of  this  place 

32°  441/2'. 

Laguna  de  Santa  Olaya  on  the  Colorado  River. 
On  December  7th  of  the  same  year  the  quadrant 
indicated  34°  28'.    Latitude  of  this  place       32°  37'. 

Cienega  de  San  Sebastian.  On  December  17th 
the  quadrant  indicated  33°  10'.  Latitude  of  this 
place  33°  lOi/o'. 

Arroyo  de  San  Patricio.  On  the  28th  of  the 
month  the  quadrant  indicated  32°  48'.  Latitude  of 
this  place  33°  371/2'. 

Mission  San  Gabriel  in  Northern  California.  On 
February  17,  1776,  the  quadrant  indicated  43°  42'. 
Latitude  of  this  pueblo  33°  581/2'. 


196     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Port  and  Royal  Presidio  of  San  Diego.  On  Jan- 
uary 12th  of  the  same  year  the  quadrant  indicated 
35°  20'.    Latitude  of  this  place  32°  40'. 

Mission  San  Luis.  On  March  3d  of  the  same 
year  the  quadrant  indicated  48°  04'. 

Mission  San  Antonio,  in  the  same  California,  on 
the  7th  of  the  same  month  the  quadrant  indicated 
48°  52'.  The  latitudes  of  this  place  and  the  fore- 
going place  of  San  Luis  are  not  recorded  because  in 
the  tables  by  which  we  were  guided  an  error  in  their 
transcription  was  noted. 

Mission  of  Carmelo.  On  the  22d  of  the  same 
month  the  quadrant  indicated  53°  05'.  Latitude  of 
this  place  36°  27'. 

Port  of  San  Francisco.  On  March  28th  the  quad- 
rant indicated  55°  21'.    Latitude  of  this  place 

37°  40'. 

Puerto  de  la  Concepcion  and  the  site  where  the 
Colorado  and  Gila  rivers  unite.  On  May  13th  the 
quadrant  indicated  75°  38'.    Latitude  of  this  place 

32°  391/2'. 

Pueblo  de  Caborca,  last  pueblo  to  the  west  in 
the  province  and  government  of  Sonora.  On  the 
28th  of  the  same  month  the  quadrant  indicated 
80°  00'.    Latitude  of  this  place  30°  381/2'. 

Villa  and  presidio  of  San  Miguel  de  Horcacitas, 
capital  of  the  province  hereinbefore  named.  On 
June  2d  the  quadrant  indicated  82°  34'.  Latitude 
of  this  place  29°  28'. 


ANZA'S  DIAEY 


197 


ra 


•aw/ 


jJUli]  Or<W 


.^ 


Ichnographic  Plan  of  the  House  Popularly  but  Incorrectly  called 
Caaa  de  Moctezuma,  Situated  on  the  Gila  Eiver  in  Latitude  Thirty- 
three  Degrees  and  Five  Minutes,  According  to  the  Tables  by  which 
we  are  Guided. 


198     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 


Memorandum  of  the  Measurements  which  were 

Observed  and  Recorded  for  the 

Foregoing  Edifice^ 

This  edifice  is  located  in  the  place  and  latitude 
mentioned,  with  level  country  on  all  sides,  about  a 
league  from  the  river,  at  the  western  end  of  a  settle- 
ment which  must  have  been  about  a  league  and  a 
half  long  and  a  quarter  of  a  league  wide,  and  which 
provided  itself  with  water  by  an  aqueduct  about  six 
varas  wide,  which  ran  from  the  same  river  and  was 
introduced  into  the  middle  of  the  settlement. 

This  edifice  is  almost  square  with  the  four  car- 
dinal points,  as  is  noted,  and  is  in  the  center  of  a 
rectangle  at  whose  four  corners  it  is  seen  that  there 
were  four  bastions. 

This  rectangle  is  420  geometrical  feet  long  from 
north  to  south,  and  260  from  east  to  west. 

The  interior  of  the  house  is  composed  of  ^ve 
rooms  divided  as  is  shown  in  the  drawing.  The 
three  innermost  rooms  are  26  feet  long  and  10  wide, 
and  the  two  first  which  are  at  the  ends  are  38  feet 
long  and  12  wide. 

These  rooms,  which  from  story  to  story  are  the 
same  height,  are  11  feet  long. 

The  doors  for  communication,  which  in  all  the 
rooms  are  parallel,  are  5  feet  high  and  2  feet  wide, 

1  Compare  these  data  with  those  given  by  Font  in  his  diary. 


ANZA'S  DIAEY  199 

except  the  four  principal  entrances,  which  are  a 
little  larger. 

The  interior  walls  are  4  feet  thick  and  the  ex- 
terior 5. 

The  walls  are  perfectly  filled  with  stone  and 
mortar  and  are  colored  with  red  ochre,  for  this 
color  even  yet  shows  plainly.  The  exterior  walls  are 
tapering  and  it  is  noted  that  the  inner  walls  taper 
all  the  way  from  the  bottom  to  the  top. 

The  edifice  described  has  exterior  measurements 
of  68  feet  from  north  to  south,  and  48  from  east 
to  west. 

The  room  shown  apart  from  the  house  and 
rectangle  mentioned,  in  the  position  indicated  by  the 
drawing,  is  26  feet  long  and  19  wide. 

The  timber  of  these  dwellings  was  chiefly  pine 
and  live  oak,  with  some  mesquite,  the  pine  and  oak 
being  twenty-five  or  thirty  leagues  distant.  Of  these 
kinds  of  timber  large  fragments  still  remain,  not- 
withstanding the  fire  which  they  have  suffered, 
showing  that  they  were  of  all  thicknesses  and  sizes. 

The  material  of  this  edifice  is  of  pure  clay  taken 
from  the  region  where  it  stands.  But  it  is  so  well 
mixed  with  some  unknown  substance  that  it  has  with- 
stood the  long  time  which  may  be  imagined,  with  its 
inclemencies,  so  firmly  that  even  yet  the  walls  main- 
tain their  top  rows  of  stones,  being  built  apparently 
of  tapia  with  molds  of  various  sizes. 

It  is  very  plainly  seen  that  the  edifice  had  three 
storeys,  and  there  is  good  reason  for  thinking  that 


200     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

there  were  four,  the  first  floor  being  a  little  below 
ground,  as  the  Pima  Indians  who  live  in  the  neigh- 
borhood assure  us  they  have  seen. 

To  all  of  the  rooms,  all  of  which  were  truncated, 
the  light  was  introduced,  not  only  by  the  doors 
which  have  been  mentioned,  but  also  by  some  clair- 
voyants situated  in  the  middle  of  the  rooms,  and 
facing  east  and  west,  through  which,  according  to  a 
tradition  held  by  these  Indians,  their  king — nick- 
named El  Amargo,  because  of  his  harsh  rule — looked 
to  watch  the  sun  rise  and  set,  and  this  was  an  indis- 
pensable and  religious  ceremony. 

Finally,  no  indications  of  stairs  were  found  for 
the  management  of  the  upper  storeys,  from  which 
we  infer  that  they  must  have  been  portable  and  of 
wood,  and  that  they  must  have  been  destroyed  in 
the  fire  which  the  edifice  suffered.^ 

1  Mange  gives  the  following  description  of  the  ruins  about  Caaa 
Grande  as  he  and  Kino  saw  them  on  November  18,  1697:  **We  con- 
tinued west,  and  after  going  four  leagues  more  arrived  at  noon  at  the 
Casas  Grandes,  within  which  Mass  was  said  by  Father  Kino,  who  had 
not  yet  breakfasted.  One  of  the  houses  is  a  large  edifice  whose  prin- 
cipal room  in  the  middle  is  of  four  storeys,  those  adjoining  its  four 
sides  being  of  three.  Its  walls  are  two  varas  thick,  are  made  of 
strong  cement  and  clay,  and  are  so  smooth  on  the  inside  that  they 
resemble  planed  boards,  and  so  polished  that  they  shine  like  Puebla 
pottery.  The  angles  of  the  windows,  which  are  square,  are  very  true 
and  without  jambs  or  cross  pieces  of  wood,  and  they  must  have  made 
them  with  a  mold  or  frame.  The  same  is  true  of  the  doors,  although 
they  are  narrow,  by  which  we  know  it  to  be  the  work  of  Indians.  It 
is  36  paces  long  and  21  wide.  It  is  well  built,  as  is  seen  from  the 
dravring  on  the  margin,  and  has  foundations.  An  arquebus-shot  away 
are  seen  twelve  other  half  fallen  houses,  also  having  thick  walls,  and 
all  with  their  roofs  burned.*'  (Juan  Matheo  Mange,  Luz  de  Tierra 
Incdgnita,  libro  II,  cap.  5).  In  the  edition  of  this  work  prepared  by 
Fernandez  del  Castillo  and  published  by  the  Archive  General  de  la 
Nacion  (Mexico,  1926)  is  given  a  fuller  version  of  Mange's  descrip- 
tion of  the  Casa  Grande,  taken  from  the  Linga  MS.,  together  with 
Mange's  drawings  of  the  ruins. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIAEY 
1775-1776 


(K) 


DIARY  OF  FATHER  FRAY  PEDRO  FONT,  APOS- 
TOLIC PREACHER  OF  THE  COLLEGE  OF  SANTA 
CRUZ  DE  QUERETARO,  DRAWN  FROM  THE  NOTES 
WHICH  HE  KEPT  ON  THE  WAY  DURING  THE 
JOURNEY  WHICH  HE  MADE  TO  MONTEREY  AND 
THE  PORT  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  IN  COMPANY 
WITH  SENOR  DON  JUAN  BAUTISTA  DE  ANZA, 
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL  OF  CAVALRY,  CAPTAIN 
OF  THE  PRESIDIO  OF  TUBAC,  AND  COMMANDER 
OF  THE  EXPEDITION  SENT  TO  ESCORT  THE 
FAMILIES  AND  SOLDIERS  TO  THE  NEW  ESTAB- 
LISHMENT OF  THAT  PORT,  BY  ORDER  AND  DIS- 
POSITION OF  THE  MOST  EXCELLENT  SENOR 
BAILIO  FREY  DON  ANTONIO  MARIA  BUCARELI 
Y  URSUA,  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL,  VICEROY, 
GOVERNOR,  AND  CAPTAIN-GENERAL  OF  THIS 
NEW  SPAIN. 

This  order  was  communicated  to  the  reverend 
father  guardian  of  the  College  of  Santa  Cruz  de 
Queretaro,  Fray  Romualdo  Cartagena,  in  a  letter 
written  to  him  on  the  2d  of  January,  1775,  and  was 
reported  to  me  by  the  same  reverend  father  guard- 
ian in  a  letter  dated  the  20th  of  January  of  the  same 
year,  with  an  order  that  I  should  accompany  the 
commander  during  the  whole  journey  and  observe 
the  latitudes  on  the  way. 


204     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

This  diary  is  accompanied  by  a  map  of  the  whole 
journey  in  which  the  route  is  indicated  by  dots.  The 
days'  journeys  are  indicated  by  numbers,  and  the 
notable  places  and  sites  which  are  mentioned  in  the 
diary  are  shown  by  letters  of  the  alphabet.  All  this 
was  made  and  done  after  the  return  from  the  jour- 
ney at  this  mission  of  Ures  in  the  month  of  June  of 
the  present  year,  1776.^ 

1  Diario  que  forma  el  P.  Fr.  Pedro  Font  .  .  .  del  viage  que  hizo 
k  Monterey  y  Puerto  de  San  Francisco.  Designated  as  K.  Original 
in  the  Bancroft  Library.  Supplemented  and  emended  by  the  version 
in  the  Archive  General  y  Publico,  Mexico,  Historia,  Tomo  24.  The 
additions  are  inserted  within  brackets  [  ].  The  text  of  K  printed 
by  the  Academy  of  Pacific  Coast  History  is  referred  to  as  A.  P.  C.  H. 

In  the  original  manuscript  the  figures  indicating  the  number  of 
days  traveled,  and  the  sunmiaries  of  distances  covered,  are  placed  in 
the  margins.  In  this  text  they  are  printed  in  the  body  of  the  page. 
In  the  original  the  references  to  Font's  map  ^  to  7  and  a  to  e  are 
given  in  the  page  and  repeated  in  the  margins.  In  this  text  the 
marginal  repetitions  are  omitted.  No  maps  or  plans  accompany  the 
Bancroft  Library  manuscript  of  this  diary,  but  those  accompanying 
Font's  complete  diary,  presumably  the  same,  are  printed  in  Volume 
IV  of  this  work.  That  diary,  being  much  more  detailed,  is  more  fully 
annotated  than  this  version.  For  corresponding  items  fuller  notes 
are  found  also  in  Anza's  diary  than  in  this  one. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIAEY 

REMARKS 

I  may  note  that  in  the  observations  which  I  was 
able  to  make  with  the  astronomical  quadrant  of  the 
expedition  carried  by  the  commander,  I  calculated 
the  latitudes  by  some  tables  of  Don  Jorge  Juan^ 
which  I  accidentally  was  able  to  acquire,  but  which, 
because  they  were  made  for  the  meridian  of  Cadiz 
and  for  the  years  1756,  1757,  1758,  and  1759,  require 
two  corrections.  And  although  the  latitudes  which 
I  note  are  according  to  the  observations  which  I 
made,  with  an  effort  to  make  the  two  corrections 
in  the  tables  necessary  for  the  calculation,  for  the 
greater  satisfaction  of  experts  in  all  the  observa- 
tions I  express  the  meridian  altitude  of  the  lower 
limb  of  the  sun  which  this  quadrant  recorded. 

I  may  note  also  that  with  respect  to  the  direc- 
tions of  the  route  I  may  have  made  some  errors 
because  I  was  not  able  to  obtain  a  good  compass,  for 
only  at  San  Xavier  del  Bac  was  I  able  to  borrow 
from  that  mission  a  very  small  and  bad  one  which 
scarcely  worked.  Therefore,  although  with  respect 
to  the  directions  which  I  note  I  took  the  greatest 
care,  I  am  not  entirely  satisfied  with  them  for  lack 

1  A  Spanish  scientist  of  the  middle  eighteenth  century. 


206     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

of  an  instrument,  and  I  have  even  tried  to  correct 
them  somewhat  in  order  to  make  the  map  in  accord- 
ance with  the  latitudes  observed. 

Finally,  I  may  note  with  respect  to  the  leagues 
which  I  recorded  that  I  calculated  them  by  a  meas- 
ured league  which  I  paced  according  to  the  marching 
pace.  All  those  that  I  have  indicated  in  the  journey 
are  Mexican  leagues  of  five  thousand  varas  or  three 
thousand  geometrical  paces,  of  which  twenty-eight 
make  a  degree  of  latitude  on  the  earth 's  surface  and 
twenty-three  and  a  third  in  the  air.  They  correspond 
to  the  seventeen  and  a  half  Spanish  leagues  by  air 
and  twenty-one  on  the  earth's  surface  which  make  a 
degree  according  to  Father  Tosca  (Tom.  8.  Tract. 
24.  Lib.  1.  Cap.  4.  Prop.  23),  a  Spanish  league  con- 
sisting of  four  thousand  geometrical  paces,  or  6666 
and  %  varas,  or  2  feet,  according  to  Father  Flores^ 
in  his  Clave  Geogrdfica  (Cap.  3.  §  3.  Num.  125). 

D  ay  ^s  Journey  Leagues 

1.  September  29,  1775. — Most  of  the  people, 
pack  mules,  and  saddle  animals  of  the  expedition 
being  now  assembled,  whose  number  I  do  not  note 
down  because  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn  it,  Mass 
was  sung  for  the  success  of  the  journey  to  the  Most 
Holy  Virgin  of  Guadalupe,  who  was  chosen  as  our 
patroness,  with  Prince  San  Miguel  and  Our  Father 
San  Francisco  as  patrons.  After  Mass  arrangements 
for  the  march  were  begun,  but  because  it  was  the 

1  Thomas  Vicente  Tosca,  Compendio  Mathematico  (Valencia,  1709- 
1715);  Fr.  Henrique  Florez,  Clave  Geogrdfica  (Madrid,  1747). 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  207 

first  day  we  did  not  start  until  half  past  four  in  the 
afternoon.  At  that  hour  we  set  out  from  the  presi- 
dio of  San  Miguel  de  Orcasitas,  and  a  little  after  five 
o'clock  halted  near  the  river  on  the  other  side,  hav- 
ing traveled  a  short  league  toward  the  northwest.^ — 
One  league. 

2.  September  30. — At  nine  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing we  left  camp  near  the  river  of  San  Miguel,  and 
after  midday  came  to  Chupisonora,  having  traveled 
about  four  leagues  to  the  north-northwest.^ — Four 
leagues. 

October  1. — ^We  remained  here  to  await  a  pack 
train  which  fell  behind  yesterday. 

3.  October  2. — ^We  set  out  from  Chupisonora  at 
two  o  'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  at  six  arrived  at  La 
Palma,  having  traveled  five  leagues  toward  the 
north-northwest. — Five  leagues. 

4.  October  3. — Leaving  La  Palma  at  a  quarter 
to  eight  in  the  morning,  near  one  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  we  arrived  at  Charco  del  Canelo,  having 
traveled  six  leagues  to  the  north-northwest.^ — Six 
leagues. 

5.  October  4. — We  set  out  from  El  Charco  del 
Canelo  at  half  past  seven  in  the  morning  and  at  one 
in  the  afternoon  halted  at  the  Puerto  de  los  Conejos, 
having  traveled  some  six  long  leagues  toward  the 
north-northwest. — Six  leagues. 

1  Camp  was  about  where  El  Vado  (The  Ford)  is  shown  on  the 
modern  map. 

2  Chupisonora  is  still  on  the  map. 

3  From  Charco  del  Canelo  nearly  to  the  Gila  River  Anza  's  route 
ran  close  to  the  line  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad. 


208     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

6.  October  5. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Puerto  de 
los  Conejos  at  half  past  eight  in  the  morning,  and 
at  two  o^clock  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  Charco  de 
Gauna,  having  traveled  some  seven  long  leagues 
toward  the  north-northwest. — Seven  leagues. 

7.  October  6. — We  left  Charco  de  Gauna  at  half 
past  eight  in  the  morning,  and  at  noon  arrived  at 
the  banks  of  the  river  of  the  pueblo  of  Santa  Ana, 
having  traveled  five  leagues  to  the  north-northwest. 
— Five  leagues. 

October  7. — ^We  halted  here  because  three  sol- 
diers had  remained  behind  seeking  some  loaded 
mules.  I  observed  the  latitude  of  this  pueblo  with 
the  astronomical  quadrant  of  the  expedition  and  I 
found  it  to  be  in  30°  381/2',  and  so  I  say:  at  the 
pueblo  of  Santa  Ana,  October  7,  1775,  meridian 
altitude  of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun,  53°  28'. 

8.  October  8. — ^We  left  the  pueblo  of  Santa  Ana 
at  half  past  nine  in  the  morning,  and  at  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  halted  at  Santa  Maria  Madalena, 
a  pueblo  de  visita^  of  the  mission  of  San  Ygnacio, 
having  traveled  some  six  leagues  northeast  by  east. 
— Six  leagues. 

9.  October  9. — ^We  set  forth  from  Santa  Maria 
Madalena  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at 
half  past  ten  reached  the  mission  of  San  Ygnacio, 
having  traveled  two  leagues  northeast  by  east. — 
Two  leagues. 

1 A    sub-station    of    the    mission,    visited    periodically    by    the 
minister. 


i> 


^<:/<»M  .50/  -€;»  '*»."  j'i  ^h^t^i'-en/e  £et\<irfl 


V  ^Tavh-^^  ;c  «./  pot  M'ckot^-  £^'"^««^ 


First  page  of  Font's  Short  Diary. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  209 

October  10. — We  remained  at  this  mission  to 
make  up  some  pack  loads  of  provisions.  I  observed 
the  latitude  of  the  place  and  found  it  to  be  in  30° 
471/2',  and  so  I  say:  at  the  mission  of  San  Ygnacio, 
October  10,  1775,  meridian  altitude  of  the  lower  limb 
of  the  sun,  52°  10'. 

10.  October  11. — ^We  set  out  from  San  Ygnacio 
at  half  past  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  half 
past  one  in  the  afternoon  we  halted  on  the  banks  of 
the  river  on  the  other  side,  beyond  the  pueblo  of 
Ymuris,  a  visita  of  the  mission  of  San  Ygnacio,  hav- 
ing traveled  four  leagues  to  the  north-northeast. — 
Four  leagues. 

11.  October  12. — ^We  left  the  camp  near  the 
pueblo  of  Ymuris  at  half  past  eight  in  the  morning, 
and  at  one  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  El  Guambiit, 
before  entering  the  canyon,  having  traveled  four 
leagues  to  the  north-northwest. — Four  leagues. 

12.  October  13. — ^We  set  out  from  El  Guambiit  at 
eight  o  'clock  in  the  morning  and  at  one  in  the  after- 
noon halted  at  El  Sibuta,  having  traveled  four 
leagues  to  the  north,  going  very  slowly  through  the 
canyon  of  El  Guambut  because  it  is  a  stretch  of  road 
made  dangerous  by  the  Apaches.^Four  leagues. 

13.  October  14.— We  left  El  Sibuta  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  halted  at  the  place  called  Las  Lagunas,^ 
having  traveled  some  eight  long  leagues,  about  four 
of  them  being  northwest  and  four  north-northwest. 
— Eight  leagues. 

1  Las  Lagunas  were  north  of  Nogales  on  Nogales  Wash. 


210     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

14.  October  15. — From  Las  Lagunas  we  set  forth 
at  eight  o^clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  two  in  the 
afternoon  arrived  at  the  presidio  of  Tubac,  having 
traveled  some  eight  leagues  to  the  north. — Eight 
leagues. 

October  16. — ^We  remained  several  days  at  Tu- 
bac, I  staying  at  the  mission  of  Tumacacori,  a  league 
to  the  south  of  the  presidio,  to  prepare  everything 
necessary  for  the  continuation  of  the  journey,  and 
to  finish  assembling  the  people  who  were  to  go  with 
the  expedition. 

October  17  was  spent  in  this  manner. 

October  18  was  passed  in  the  same  way. 

October  19  was  spent  in  the  same  way. 

October  20  was  passed  in  the  same  way. 

October  21. — I  went  to  the  presidio  of  Tubac  in 
company  with  Father  Fray  Francisco  Garces  and 
his  companion.  Father  Fray  Thomas  Eixarch,  who 
joined  us  in  order  to  remain  at  the  Colorado  River 
to  ascertain  the  wishes  of  the  tribes  who  live  on  its 
banks,  according  to  the  order  given  by  his  Excel- 
lency the  Viceroy.  I  observed  the  latitude  of  this 
presidio,  but  because  it  was  a  dark  day  I  was  not 
satisfied  with  the  result. 

October  22. — Mass  was  sung  for  the  success  of 
the  journey  of  the  expedition.  The  day  being  clear  I 
again  made  observations,  and  found  this  presidio  to 
be  in  latitude  31°  43',  and  so  I  say :  at  the  presidio  of 
Tubac,  October  22,  1775,  meridian  altitude  of  the 
lower  limb  of  the  sun,  46°  50'. 


FONT'S  SHOET  DIARY  211 

Having  finished  the  assembling  of  the  people  who 
were  to  go  with  the  expedition  and  of  the  pack  ani- 
mals, saddle  animals,  and  cattle  (whose  numbers  I 
do  not  note  down  because  I  was  not  able  to  ascer- 
tain them),  it  was  decided  to  continue  the  journey 
tomorrow. 

15.  October  23. — ^We  set  out  from  Tubac  at  eleven 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  half  past  three  in  the 
afternoon  halted  at  the  place  called  La  Canoa,^  hav- 
ing traveled  some  five  leagues  to  the  north-northeast. 
This  night  the  wife  of  a  soldier  was  delivered.  She 
died  in  childbed,  and  the  next  day  she  was  taken  for 
burial  to  the  mission  of  San  Xavier  del  Bac. — Five 
leagues. 

16.  October  24. — From  La  Canoa  we  set  out  at 
two  o  'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  at  five  halted  at  the 
Punta  de  Los  Llanos,  having  traveled  three  leagues 
to  the  north-northeast. — Three  leagues. 

17.  October  25. — From  the  Punta  de  Los  Llanos 
we  set  forth  at  half  past  eight  in  the  morning,  and 
at  one  in  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  the  mission  of 
San  Xavier  del  Bac,  of  which  Father  Fray  Fran- 
cisco Garces  is  minister,  having  traveled  six  long 
leagues  north  by  east. — Six  leagues. 

18.  October  26. — ^We  left  the  mission  of  San 
Xavier  del  Bac  at  half  past  eight  in  the  morning, 
and  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  halted  a  league 
beyond  the  pueblo   of   Tuquison,   a  visita  of   the 

1  The  place  is  marked  today  by  La  Canoa  Eanch,  about  fifteen 
miles  north  of  Tubac.     Camp  next  day  was  near  Sahuarito. 


212     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

mission  of  San  Xavier  del  Bac  and  the  last  Chris- 
tianized pueblo  in  this  direction,  having  traveled 
four  very  long  leagues  because  of  winding  about,  the 
general  direction  being  nearly  north.^ — Four  leagues. 

19.  October  27. — I  made  an  observation  at  this 
place  of  Tuquison  and  found  it  to  be  in  latitude  32° 
22',  and  so  I  say:  near  the  pueblo  of  Tuquison,  a 
league  to  the  north  of  it,  October  27,  1775,  meridian 
altitude  of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun,  44°  26'.  We  set 
out  from  the  pueblo  of  Tuquison  at  one  o^clock  in 
the  afternoon,  and  a  little  before  six  we  halted  in  a 
plain  in  sight  of  a  very  rugged  and  low  sierra  called 
by  the  Indians  La  Frente  Negra,  and  just  before 
entering  a  pass  which  they  called  Puerto  del  Azo- 
tado,  having  traveled  five  leagues,  about  two  leagues 
being  to  the  north-northwest  and  the  rest  to  the 
northwest. — Five  leagues. 

20.  October  28. — ^We  set  out  from  the  plain  of 
the  Puerto  del  Azotado  at  a  quarter  past  eight  in 
the  morning,  and  at  half  past  one  in  the  afternoon 
we  halted  at  a  place  where  there  are  some  lagoons 
which  the  Indians  call  Oytaparts,  having  traveled 
six  long  leagues  to  the  west-northwest  and  some- 
times almost  to  the  west. — Six  leagues. 

21.  October  29. — From  the  lagoons  of  Oytaparts 
we  set  forth  at  one  in  the  afternoon,  and  at  a  quar- 
ter past  five  we  halted  a  little  beyond  a  peak  which 
the  Indians  call  Tacca,  having  traveled  some  five 
leagues,  about  two  of  them  to  the  northwest,  and 

1  San  Xavier  del  Bac  and  Tucson  (Tuquison)  still  bear  the  same 
names. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  213 

the  rest  to  the  north-northwest.  Very  early  in  the 
morning  some  Indians  were  dispatched  to  notify  the 
Gila  River  Pimas  of  our  coming,  and  after  Mass  a 
proclamation  was  made  in  which  orders  were  given 
looking  to  the  best  conduct  of  the  people. — Five 
leagues. 

22.  October  30. — We  set  out  from  the  Cerro  de 
Tacca  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  half 
past  five  in  the  afternoon  arrived  near  the  Gila 
Eiver.  We  halted  at  a  lagoon  somewhat  distant  from 
the  stream,  having  traveled  some  twelve  leagues, 
about  six  of  them  being  to  the  northwest,  three  to 
the  north-northwest,  and  finally  some  three  almost 
to  the  north.^ — Twelve  leagues. 

In  consequence  of  the  message  which  was  sent 
yesterday,  the  governor  of  the  Papago  villages  of 
Aquituni  and  Cuitoa,  and  the  governor  of  Uturituc, 
a  pueblo  on  the  Gila  River,  accompanied  by  its  al- 
calde, the  governor  of  Sutaquison,  and  other  Indians, 
all  on  horseback,  came  out  on  the  road  to  meet 
us.  Dismounting  to  welcome  us,  they  presented  the 
soldiers  with  two  scalps  of  Apaches  whom  they  had 
killed  the  day  before,  for  with  them  they  have  con- 
tinual warfare.  Mounting  their  horses  once  more, 
they  accompanied  us  to  camp.  They  asked  if  we 
were  coming  to  live  with  them  and  to  baptize  their 

1  Puerto  del  Azotado  was  near  Weaver  Well.  La  Frente  Negra 
was  the  mountain  shape  there  which  resembles  a  human  profile.  Camp 
on  the  28th  was  near  the  E.  Aguirre  House.  Cerro  de  Tacca  is  the 
peak  now  called  Picacho.  The  Gila  River  was  reached  about  at  Black- 
water  Slough,  at  a  place  which  Anza  called  Comari. 


214     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

people,  which  they  appeared  greatly  to  desire,  and 
they  seemed  to  be  very  happy  at  our  coming. 

October  31. — The  commander  decided  to  give  the 
people  a  rest  here,  and  this  gave  us  an  opportunity 
to  go  to  examine  the  Casa  Grande  de  Moctezuma,  as 
they  call  it,  situated  a  league  from  the  Gila  River 
and  distant  from  the  camp  of  La  Laguna  some  three 
leagues  east-southeast.  We  went  to  it  accompanied 
by  some  Indians,  including  the  governor  of  Uturi- 
tuc,  who  on  the  way  recounted  a  history  or  tradition 
concerning  this  house  handed  down  by  their  ances- 
tors, all  of  which  reduces  itself  to  fables,  mixed  con- 
fusedly with  some  Catholic  truths.  I  made  an  obser- 
vation at  the  site  of  this  Casa  Grande,  which  is  indi- 
cated on  the  map  by  the  letter  A,  and  found  it  to 
be  in  33°  3%',  and  so  I  say:  at  the  Casa  Grande  of 
the  Gila  River,  October  31,  1775,  meridian  altitude 
of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun,  42°  25'.  We  examined 
this  edifice  and  its  remains  with  great  care,  and  I 
insert  here  an  ichnographic  plan  of  it,  and  for  its 
greater  intelligibility  I  give  the  following  descrip- 
tion and  explanation.^ 

The  Casa  Grande  or  palace  of  Moctezuma  must 
have  been  founded  about  five  hundred  years  ago,  ac- 
cording to  the  histories  and  the  scanty  notices  of  it 
which  exist  and  are  given  by  the  Indians ;  for  appar- 
ently it  was  established  by  the  Mexicans  when  in  the 
course  of  their  migration  the  Devil  led  them  through 
various  regions  until  they  arrived  at  the  Promised 

1  See  Anza's  description  of  the  Casa  Grande,  pp.  15-16,  197-199. 


FONT'S  SHOET  DIARY  215 

Land  of  Mexico,  and  when  during  their  stops,  which 
were  long,  they  built  settlements  and  edifices. 

The  place  where  this  house  is  situated  is  level  on 
all  sides  and  is  apart  from  the  Gila  Eiver  about  a 
league.  The  ruins  of  the  houses  which  formed  the 
settlement  extend  for  more  than  a  league  to  the  east 
and  in  other  directions.  All  this  district  is  scattered 
with  pieces  of  ollas,  jars,  plates,  etc.,  some  ordinary 
and  others  painted  with  various  colors,  white,  blue, 
red,  etc.  This  is  an  indication  that  it  was  a  large  set- 
tlement and  of  a  people  distinct  from  the  Gila  Pimas, 
for  the  latter  do  not  know  how  to  make  such  pottery. 

We  made  a  careful  inspection  of  the  edifice  and 
of  its  site,  and  for  convenience  measured  it  with  a 
lance,  whose  measurements  I  afterward  reduced  to 
geometrical  feet,  and  with  slight  difference  they  are 
as  follows:  The  house  is  rectangular  and  perfectly 
oriented  with  the  four  cardinal  points,  east,  west, 
north  and  south.  Round  about  are  some  ruins  which 
appear  to  have  been  some  kind  of  fence  or  wall  en- 
closing the  house  and  other  edifices,  especially  at  the 
corners,  where  it  appears  there  was  some  structure 
like  an  interior  castle  or  watch-tower,  for  at  the  cor- 
ner which  falls  to  the  southwest  there  is  a  piece  still 
standing  with  its  compartments  and  an  upper  story.^ 

The  outer  wall  is  four  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
from  north  to  south  and  two  hundred  and  sixty  from 
east  to  west.  The  interior  of  the  house  consists  of 
five  rooms,  three  of  the  same  size  in  the  middle,  and 
a  larger  one  at  each  end.  The  three  rooms  are  twen- 

1  Pont 's  drawing  is  printed  in  Volume  IV  of  this  work. 


216     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

ty-six  feet  long  from  north  to  south  and  ten  from 
east  to  west.  The  two  rooms  at  the  ends  are  twelve 
feet  from  north  to  south  and  thirty-eight  from  east 
to  west.  The  rooms  are  about  eleven  feet  high,  and 
all  are  equal.  The  doors  are  five  feet  high  and  two 
feet  wide,  and  all  are  almost  the  same,  except  the 
four  outer  entries,  which  appear  to  have  been  twice 
as  wide.  The  thickness  of  the  interior  walls  is  four 
feet  and  they  are  well  plastered;  and  the  thickness 
of  the  exterior  walls  is  six  feet.  The  house  has  an 
exterior  measurement  of  seventy  feet  from  north  to 
south  and  fifty  feet  from  east  to  west.  The  walls  are 
slanting  on  the  outside.  In  front  of  the  eastern  door, 
apart  from  the  house,  there  is  another  room  which  is 
twenty-six  feet  from  north  to  south  and  eighteen 
from  east  to  west,  not  counting  the  thickness  of  the 
walls.^ 

Judging  from  what  can  be  seen,  the  timbers  were 
of  pine,  although  the  nearest  mountain  having  pines 
is  distant  some  twenty-five  leagues.  Some  of  the 
timbers  are  also  of  mesquite.  The  edifice  is  entirely 
of  earth,  and  according  to  the  indications  it  is  tapia 
made  with  molds  of  various  sizes.  Coming  from  the 
river,  and  from  a  long  distance,  runs  a  very  large 
irrigation  ditch  by  which  the  settlement  was  sup- 
plied with  water,  but  it  is  now  very  much  obliterated. 
Finally,  it  is  seen  that  the  edifice  had  three  storeys ; 
and  if  what  we  were  able  to  learn  from  the  Indians 
is  true,  and  from  the  vestiges  which  were  seen,  it 
had  four  storeys,  the  basement  of  the  house  being 

1  This  room  is  now  called  the  Font  Room. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  217 

below  ground  like  a  subterranean  room.  To  furnish 
light  for  the  rooms  nothing  else  is  seen  than  the 
doors  and  some  round  holes  in  the  middle  of  the 
walls  which  face  the  east  and  the  west.  The  Indians 
said  that  through  these  holes,  which  are  rather  large, 
the  prince,  whom  they  call  El  Hombre  Amargo, 
looked  at  the  sun  when  it  rose  and  set,  in  order  to 
salute  it.  No  traces  of  stairs  were  found,  and  we 
therefore  conclude  that  they  were  made  of  wood 
and  were  destroyed  in  the  fire  which  the  edifice 
suffered  from  the  Apaches. 

23.  November  1. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Laguna 
at  half  past  nine  in  the  morning,  and  at  one  in  the 
afternoon  arrived  at  the  pueblo  of  San  Juan  Capis- 
trano  de  Uturituc,  having  traveled  four  leagues  to 
the  west-northwest.  We  were  welcomed  by  the  In- 
dians, whom  I  estimated  at  a  thousand  persons, 
arranged  in  two  files,  the  men  on  one  side  and  the 
women  on  the  other.  As  soon  as  we  dismounted  they 
all  came  in  turn  to  salute  us  and  to  shake  hands, 
first  the  men  and  then  the  women.  They  manifested 
great  satisfaction  at  seeing  us,  and  entertained  us  in 
a  great  arbor  which  they  made  for  this  purpose,  and 
in  front  of  which,  although  they  were  heathen,  they 
had  set  up  a  large  cross.  Immediately  they  brought 
water  to  the  camp  for  the  people,  [for  the  Grila  Pimas 
are  very  gentle  and  good-hearted.^] — Four  leagues. 

24.  November  2. — This  being  All  Souls'  Day  we 
three  friars  said  nine  Masses.   At  eleven  o'clock  in 

1  uturituc  was  some  eighteen  or  twenty  miles  westward  from 
Casa  Grande  and  a  little  west  of  Sacaton. 


218     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

the  morning  we  set  out  from  the  pueblo  of  Uturituc, 
and  about  three  in  the  afternoon  halted  on  the  banks 
of  the  Gila  Eiver  near  the  pueblo  of  La  Encarnacion 
de  Sutaquison,  having  traveled  some  four  leagues 
west  by  north.  The  Indians  of  the  pueblo,  whom  I 
estimated  at  about  ^ve  hundred  souls,  came  out  to 
welcome  and  salute  us,  with  demonstrations  of  great 
joy.  On  the  way  we  passed  by  two  smaller  pueblos.^ 
— Four  leagues. 

25.  November  3. — From  the  pueblo  of  Sutaqui- 
son we  set  forth  at  a  quarter  to  ten  in  the  morning, 
and  at  noon,  having  traveled  two  leagues,  almost  to 
the  northwest,  we  came  to  a  lagoon  of  bad  water 
which,  because  it  caused  some  of  the  people  to  be- 
come ill,  we  called  the  Laguna  del  Hospital.  Nearly 
west  of  this  place  there  is  a  sierra  which  runs  to  the 
north  and  ends  about  three  leagues  from  here.  Below 
it  the  Gila  Eiver  joins  the  Assumpcion  Eiver,  which 
is  a  large  stream,  being  some  three  times  the  size  of 
the  Gila.^ — Two  leagues. 

November  4. — This  being  the  feast  of  San  Car- 
los and  the  saint's  day  of  our  monarch,  we  chanted 
the  Mass  with  all  the  ceremony  possible.  After  mid- 
day preparation  was  made  for  marching,  but  we  did 
not  start  because  a  woman  became  ill. 

November  5. — ^We  remained  here  because  the 
sick  woman  was  not  yet  able  to  travel,  and  at  night 
another  one  became  ill.    I  observed  the  latitude  of 

1  Sutaquison  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Vah  Ki. 

2  Laguna  del  Hospital  was  near  Pima  Butte.  The  sierra  to  the 
west  was  Sierra  Estrella.     The  Asuncion  Eiver  was  the  Salt. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  219 

this  place  and  found  it  in  33°  14%',  and  so  I  say :  at 
the  Laguna  del  Hospital,  November  5,  1775,  meri- 
dian altitude  of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun,  40°  40'. 

November  6. — The  sick  women  continued  indis- 
posed, and  so  we  remained  here.  At  noon  another 
one  fell  ill,  and  I,  in  addition  to  the  infirmity  from 
which  I  have  been  suffering,  today  began  to  have 
tertian  ague. 

26.  November  7. — The  patients  feeling  better  this 
morning,  we  set  out  from  the  Laguna  del  Hospital 
at  one  in  the  afternoon,  and  at  a  quarter  past  six  we 
halted  at  a  dry  arroyo,  having  traveled  some  six 
leagues,  about  one  to  the  southwest,  two  to  the  west- 
southwest,  and  the  rest  to  the  west. — Six  leagues. 

27.  November  8. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Arroyo 
Seco  at  half  past  eight  in  the  morning,  and  at  four 
in  the  afternoon  halted  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
at  the  settlement  of  the  Opas,  called  San  Simon  y 
Judas  de  Uparsoytac,  having  traveled  some  nine 
leagues,  two  to  the  west-southwest,  one  to  the  west 
to  thread  a  pass  through  a  mountain  chain,  and  the 
rest  to  the  west-southwest,  with  some  declination  to 
the  west.  These  Opas  Indians  of  Uparsoytac,  who 
were  being  warred  upon  by  their  enemies  of  the 
tribe  called  Nanaxi,  neighbors  of  the  Apaches,  ap- 
pear very  gentle,  and  they  gave  us  a  friendly  wel- 
come.^— Nine  leagues. 

1  Camp  on  the  7th  was  on  Watermelon  Wash.  Uparsoitac  was  at 
Gila  Bend.  The  pass  was  through  Maricopa  Eange,  evidently  north 
of  the  railroad  pass  at  Estrella.  The  Opas  and  Cocomaricopas  were 
practically  identical. 


220     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

November  9. — Because  the  saddle  animals  ar- 
rived here  very  badly  used  up  by  yesterday's  jour- 
ney on  account  of  having  become  ill  at  the  Laguna 
del  Hospital,  it  was  decided  to  rest  today.  Glass 
beads  and  tobacco  were  distributed  among  the  In- 
dians, and  I  estimated  the  number  of  persons  who 
assembled  here  at  about  a  thousand. 

November  10. — ^We  remained  here  today  because 
the  wife  of  a  soldier  was  ill  this  morning. 

28.  November  11. — ^We  set  out  from  the  settle- 
ment of  Uparsoytac  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  about  noon  came  to  some  villages  of  Opas,  sit- 
uated on  the  banks  of  the  river,  having  traveled 
some  two  short  leagues  toward  the  west. — Two 
leagues. 

29.  November  12. — ^We  left  the  villages  of  the 
Opas  at  half  past  nine  in  the  morning,  and  at  two 
in  the  afternoon  halted  on  the  banks  of  the  river  at 
some  ranchos  which,  because  this  was  the  feast  of 
San  Diego,  we  called  the  Rancheria  de  San  Diego, 
having  traveled  five  leagues  west  by  north. — Five 
leagues. 

30.  November  13. — From  the  Rancheria  de  San 
Diego  we  set  out  at  a  quarter  past  nine  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  about  half  past  one  in  the  afternoon,  a  little 
after  we  forded  the  river,  we  halted  at  a  place  called 
Aritoac,  having  traveled  some  four  leagues  west  by 
south.^ — Four  leagues. 

1  Anza  calls  these  villages  where  camp  was  made  on  the  11th 
Bancherias  de  San  Martin.    They  evidently  were  at  the  northwest- 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  221 

31.  November  14. — From  Aritoac  we  set  forth  at 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  about  one  in  the 
afternoon  arrived  at  Agua  Caliente,  having  trav- 
eled four  leagues  to  the  west-southwest. — Four 
leagues. 

November  15. — It  was  decided  to  remain  here 
today  to  rest  the  riding  animals,  for  they  were  now 
in  very  bad  shape  for  lack  of  pasturage.  Many  Co- 
comaricopa  Indians,  who  are  the  same  as  the  Opas, 
assembled  to  see  us,  and  the  commander,  in  the  name 
of  the  king  our  lord,  gave  the  cane  and  title  of  gov- 
ernor of  all  the  tribe  to  an  Indian  whom  they  them- 
selves elected  and  whom  we  called  Carlos.  To  an- 
other, chosen  by  them  and  called  by  us  Francisco, 
he  gave  the  cane  of  alcalde.  As  soon  as  they  were 
confirmed  in  their  offices  they  were  saluted  by  all 
the  rest  of  the  Indians  assembled,  who  shook  hands 
with  them  in  turn,  after  which  tobacco  and  glass 
beads  were  distributed  among  them  all.  This  place 
and  its  district  were  named  San  Bernardino  del 
Agua  Caliente.  Although  the  day  was  very  cloudy, 
I  observed  the  latitude  of  the  place  and  found  it  to 
be  in  33°  2^/2 ',  and  so  I  say :  at  Agua  Caliente,  No- 
vember 15,  1775,  meridian  altitude  of  the  lower  limb 
of  the  sun,  38°  4'.  The  Indians  whom  I  saw  assem- 
bled I  estimated  at  about  two  hundred  souls. 

32.  November  16. — ^We  set  out  from  Agua  Cali- 
ente at  half  past  nine  in  the  morning,  and  at  half 

ward  turn  of  the  river  and  across  from  Citrus  Canal.  San  Diego 
was  just  east  of  Painted  Rock  Mountains.  The  Gila  was  forded 
on  the  13th  near  Oatman's  Flat. 


222     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

past  four  in  the  afternoon  halted  near  the  river,  hav- 
ing traveled  some  nine  leagues  to  the  west-south- 
west.— Nine  leagues. 

33.  November  17. — About  ten  o 'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing we  left  the  camp  near  the  river,  and  having 
traveled  some  two  leagues  to  the  west-southwest,  at 
midday  we  halted  on  the  bank  of  the  river.^ — Two 
leagues. 

34.  November  18. — ^We  set  out  from  the  camp  on 
the  bank  of  the  river  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning 
and  at  about  two  in  the  afternoon  halted  near  the 
river  at  the  foot  of  Cerro  de  San  Pasqual,  having 
traveled  some  four  leagues  to  the  southwest.  Mid- 
way on  the  road  we  forded  the  river  a  second  time. 
— Four  leagues. 

November  19. — Last  night  a  woman  was  deliv- 
ered, and  for  this  reason  we  remained  here  today.  I 
observed  the  latitude  of  this  place  and  found  it  to 
be  in  32""  48',  and  so  I  say:  at  the  Cerro  de  San 
Pasqual,  on  the  19th  of  November,  1775,  meridian 
altitude  of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun,  37°  20'. 

November  20. — ^We  remained  here  because  the 
woman  recently  delivered  was  not  able  to  travel. 

November  21. — ^We  did  not  travel  today  because 
the  woman  recently  delivered  was  not  even  yet  able. 
I  again  made  an  observation  at  this  place  and  found 
it  to  be  in  the  same  latitude  as  on  the  19th. 

1  Agua  Caliente  was  the  place  still  so-called.  Camp  on  the  16th 
was  near  Nottbusch's  Well,  and  on  the  17th  near  Farras  Banch,  or 
perhaps  a  little  more  westward,  near  Texas  Hill. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  223 

35.  November  22. — The  mother  was  better  this 
morning,  and  so  it  was  decided  to  continue  the  jour- 
ney. We  set  out  from  Cerro  de  San  Pasqual  at  half 
past  eleven  in  the  morning,  and  at  half  past  four  in 
the  afternoon  halted  on  the  banks  of  the  river  at  the 
foot  of  a  small  hill  called  by  the  Indians  Cerrito  del 
Metate,  and  by  us  Cerro  de  Santa  Cecilia,  having 
traveled  some  six  long  leagues  to  the  southwest.^ — 
Six  leagues. 

November  23. — The  pack  animals  having  started, 
they  were  ordered  to  return,  because  it  was  already 
past  eleven  o'clock  and  it  had  not  yet  been  possible 
to  assemble  the  saddle  animals,  which  had  become 
scattered  because  of  a  shortage  of  grass;  and  for 
this  reason  we  remained  here  today. 

November  24. — A  pregnant  woman  was  ill  this 
morning,  and  so  we  remained  here  today.  I  observed 
the  latitude  of  this  place  and  found  it  to  be  in  32° 
39',  and  so  I  say:  at  the  Cerro  de  Santa  Cecilia  del 
Metate,  November  24,  1775,  meridian  altitude  of  the 
lower  limb  of  the  sun,  36°  24'. 

36.  November  25. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Cerro 
de  Santa  Cecilia  del  Metate  at  a  quarter  to  ten  in 
the  morning,  and  about  two  in  the  afternoon  halted 
on  the  banks  of  a  salty  lagoon  distant  from  the  river 
about  a  league,  having  traveled  some  five  leagues  to 
the  west  by  north.  A  Yuma  Indian  came  out  on  the 
road  on  horseback  to  meet  us,  having  been  sent 

1  Cerro  de  San  Pasqual  was  Mohawk  Peak  near  Mohawk  Station. 
Cerro  de  Santa  Cecilia  was  Antelope  Hill. 


224     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

by  Captain  Palma  to  tell  us  that  he  was  awaiting  us 
to  give  us  a  friendly  reception,  together  with  all  his 
Yuma  people  and  likewise  the  Jalehedunes,  who  had 
come  down  to  the  junction  of  the  rivers  to  see  us  in 
consequence  of  a  message  sent  them  from  Agua 
Caliente. — Five  leagues. 

37.  November  26. — From  the  Laguna  Salobre  we 
set  out  at  a  quarter  past  ten  in  the  morning,  and  at 
two  in  the  afternoon  halted  on  the  banks  of  the  river, 
having  traveled  some  four  leagues  to  the  north- 
west.— Four  leagues. 

38.  November  27. — ^We  set  out  from  camp  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  at  half  past  nine  in  the  morning, 
and  about  twelve  o  ^clock  we  halted  in  a  pass  through 
which  the  Gila  River  runs  in  a  narrow  channel,  hav- 
ing traveled  some  two  leagues  to  the  west-north- 
west. A  relative  of  Captain  Palma  came  out  on  the 
road  to  welcome  us;  and  as  soon  as  we  had  halted 
Captain  Salvador  Palma  himself  came  to  see  us, 
accompanied  by  another  captain,  whom  we  called 
Pablo,  and  by  several  other  Yuma  Indians.  They 
saluted  us  with  many  demonstrations  of  pleasure. — 
Two  leagues. 

39.  November  28. — ^We  set  forth  from  the  pass 
and  the  banks  of  the  Gila  at  a  quarter  past  nine  in 
the  morning,  and  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
halted  at  the  beach  of  the  Colorado  River  after 
crossing  the  Gila  River  a  third  time,  and  having 
traveled  some  ^ve  leagues  west  by  south.  The  Yu- 
mas  entertained  us  in  an  arbor  which  Captain  Palma 
had  ordered  made  here  as  soon  as  he  learned  of  our 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  225 

coming.  Many  Indians  of  both  sexes  came  to  visit 
us,  very  jubilant  and  bappy.  About  a  league  below 
this  place  the  Gila  Eiver  joins  the  Colorado.^ — Five 
leagues. 

November  29. — ^A  ford  over  the  Colorado  Eiver 
was  sought,  and  one  having  been  found  a  road  was 
opened  through  the  brush  and  groves  along  its  bot- 
tom lands,  in  order  to  cross  the  river  next  day. 

40.  November  30. — After  Mass,  Carlos,  the  gov- 
ernor of  the  Cocomaricopas,  who  had  come  with  us 
to  ratify  the  peace  with  the  Yumas,  returned  to  his 
country  very  well  content.  We  set  out  from  the 
beach  of  the  Colorado  River  at  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  at  one  in  the  afternoon  all  the  expe- 
dition, people,  and  pack  animals,  finished  fording 
the  river  without  any  special  mishap.  We  crossed 
it  at  a  place  where  it  is  divided  into  three  branches, 
besides  a  small  overflow,  and  halted  on  its  banks, 
having  traveled  about  a  short  league  to  the  north. 
The  width  of  this  river  at  the  place  where  we  crossed 
it  I  estimated  to  be  about  three  hundred  or  four 
hundred  varas,  and  this  is  at  the  time  when  it  is 
lowest,  for  during  the  flood  season  it  is  leagues  wide. 
— One  league. 

December  1. — We  stayed  here  to  build  a  cabin  at 
the  village  of  Captain  Palma,  as  a  habitation  for 
the  two  fathers,  Garces  and  Eixarch,  who  were  to 

1  Laguna  Salobre  (or  Salada,  as  Anza  calls  it),  was  a  few  miles 
west  of  Wellton.  Camp  on  the  26th  was  at  Cerros  del  Cajon  (Anza) 
in  the  vicinity  of  Dome;  on  the  27th  at  Los  Cerritos  near  the  west 
end  of  the  pass  through  Gila  Eange;  and  on  the  28th  at  Yuma,  near 
the  junction  of  the  Gila  and  Colorado, 


226     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

remain  at  this  river.  Captain  Palma  donned  the  suit 
of  clothes  which  was  given  him  in  the  name  of  his 
Excellency  the  Viceroy. 

December  2. — They  continued  the  work  on  the 
cabin,  and  for  this  reason  we  remained  here. 

41.  December  3. — We  set  out  from  the  banks  of 
the  Colorado  River  at  half  past  ten  in  the  morning, 
and  at  noon  arrived  at  the  village  of  Captain  Palma, 
having  traveled  about  a  league  west  by  south.  The 
rest  of  the  day  was  employed  in  completing  the 
cabin.^ — One  league. 

42.  December  4. — Saying  goodbye  to  Fathers 
Fray  Francisco  Garces  and  Fray  Tomas  Eixarch, 
we  set  out  from  the  village  of  Captain  Palma  at  half 
past  nine  in  the  morning,  and  at  half  past  two  in  the 
afternoon  we  halted  near  a  lagoon  of  the  villages 
of  Captain  Pablo,  a  league  after  passing  the  Cerro 
de  San  Pablo,  having  traveled  some  five  leagues 
west  by  south. — Five  leagues. 

43.  December  5. — We  set  forth  from  the  villages 
of  Captain  Pablo  at  ten  o^clock  in  the  morning,  and 
about  two  in  the  afternoon  halted  near  a  lagoon  of 
the  villages  of  the  Cojats,  having  traveled  some  four 
leagues  to  the  southwest,  with  many  windings.  At 
the  Cerro  de  San  Pablo  the  river  makes  a  turn  al- 
most to  the  south,  and  thereafter  it  is  not  seen  any 
more  because  it  runs  very  far  from  the  road,  which 
continues  through  its  bottom  lands. — Four  leagues. 

1  The  Colorado  was  crossed  a  short  distance  above  the  junction. 
Palma 's  village  was  on  the  west  side  some  two  or  three  miles 
above  the  hill  at  Fort  Yuma. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  227 

44.  December  6. — We  left  the  villages  of  the  Co- 
jats  at  ten  in  the  morning,  and  at  two  in  the  after- 
noon halted  at  the  Laguna  de  Santa  Olalla,  having 
traveled  some  five  leagues  to  the  southwest,  but 
winding  about  almost  every  way  between  south  and 
west.  After  we  halted  Father  Fray  Francisco  Gar- 
ces  arrived,  having  come  to  continue  his  journey 
down  the  river  as  far  as  its  mouth  to  visit  the  tribes 
which  live  along  its  banks.^ — Five  leagues. 

December  7. — In  order  that  the  horses  and  mules, 
which  were  very  much  worn-out,  might  recuperate 
with  the  good  grass  of  this  lake,  it  was  decided  to 
halt  on  its  banks.  Many  Indians  of  the  Cajuenche 
tribe,  which  lives  from  here  down  the  river,  assem- 
bled. They  were  very  happy,  and  brought  to  the 
camp  many  watermelons,  calabashes,  and  other  pro- 
visions, which  they  bartered  for  glass  beads.  These 
Cajuenches  are  no  different  in  their  customs  from 
the  Yumas,  and  their  language  is  almost  the  same, 
as  is  likewise  true  of  the  Jalchedunes,  up  the  river. 
I  observed  the  latitude  of  this  place  and  found  it  to 
be  32°  33',  and  so  I  say:  at  the  Laguna  de  Santa 
Olalla,  December  7,  1775,  meridian  altitude  of  the 
lower  limb  of  the  sun,  34°  28'. 

December  8. — It  was  decided  to  divide  the  people 
and  the  pack  train  of  the  expedition  into  three  parts 
in  order  to  compass  the  bad  and  long  marches  which 

1  Cerro  de  San  Pablo  was  Pilot  Knob,  just  on  the  border 
between  the  Calif ornias.  The  villages  of  the  Cojats  were  some  twelve 
miles  southwest  of  Pilot  Knob  and  Laguna  de  Santa  Olalla  some 
twelve  or  thirteen  miles  farther  in  the  same  direction.  It  was  above 
Pescadero  Dam. 


228     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

followed.  The  first  division,  in  which  I  went,  was 
headed  by  the  commander,  the  second  by  the  ser- 
geant, and  the  third  by  the  lieutenant.  The  different 
divisions  were  to  set  forth  from  camp  a  day  apart. 
A  throng  of  Indians  came  to  the  camp  with  their 
watermelons,  etc.;  and  although  it  was  not  possible 
to  see  the  whole  body  of  the  people  together,  I  judged 
from  those  whom  I  saw  that  the  Yumas  must  com- 
prise about  three  thousand  souls  and  the  Cajuenches 
somewhat  more. 

45.  December  9. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Laguna 
de  Santa  Olalla  at  half  past  nine  in  the  morning,  and 
at  half  past  three  in  the  afternoon  arrived  at  Pozo 
Salobre  del  Carrizal,  having  traveled  some  seven 
leagues  to  the  west-northwest.  This  is  a  deadly 
place,  without  pasturage  and  with  the  worst  possi- 
ble water.  Father  Fray  Francisco  Garces  went  down 
the  river  by  another  route,  planning  to  go  as  far  as 
its  mouth. — Seven  leagues. 

46.  December  10. — ^We  left  the  Pozo  Salobre  del 
Carrizal  at  half  past  eleven  in  the  morning,  and  at 
half  past  five  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  a  dry  bar- 
ranca without  pasturage  or  water,  having  traveled 
some  seven  leagues  to  the  west-northwest. — Seven 
leagues. 

47.  December  11. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Barranca 
Seca  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  six  in 
the  afternoon  arrived  at  the  Wells  of  Santa  Rosa, 
having  traveled  some  fourteen  leagues,  about  ten 
to  the  west-northwest,  and  the  rest  a  little  to  the 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIAEY  229 

west,  but  mostly  to  the  west-southwest.  These  wells 
have  good  water  but  it  is  scanty.  While  here  we 
worked  to  give  the  animals  water  from  the  time  we 
arrived  until  noon  the  following  day.^  [On  the  road 
we  passed  the  Cerro  del  Imposible,  not  far  from  this 
place.^] — Fourteen  leagues. 

48.  December  12. — Leaving  the  Wells  of  Santa 
Eosa  at  a  quarter  to  two  in  the  afternoon,  at  a  quar- 
ter to  five  we  halted  at  a  dry  arroyo,  having  traveled 
three  leagues  to  the  north. — Three  leagues. 

49.  December  13. — Setting  out  from  the  Arroyo 
Seco  at  nine  in  the  morning,  at  half  past  three  in 
the  afternoon  we  reached  San  Sebastian,  a  small 
village  of  mountain  Cajuenches,  having  traveled 
some  seven  long  leagues  to  the  north-northwest  with 
some  inclination  to  the  north.^ — Seven  leagues. 

December  14. — This  morning  it  was  very  cold. 
In  the  middle  of  the  forenoon  it  snowed,  and  while 
it  was  snowing  the  cattle  arrived.  It  was  decided 
to  stop  here  to  recuperate  all  the  people  of  the 
expedition  who  remained  behind  in  the  two  divisions. 

December  15. — At  noon  the  sergeant  arrived  with 
the  second  division  of  the  people  of  the  expedition. 

1  Pozo  Salobre  del  Carrizal  was  on  the  course  of  Paredones  River. 
The  Barranca  Seca,  where  camp  was  made  on  the  10th,  was  evi- 
dently New  Eiver,  near  Pascualitos.  The  Wells  of  Santa  Rosa 
were  at  Yuha  Well,  west  of  C'alexico.  Cerro  del  Imposible  (Signal 
Mountain)  was  so-called  because  Anza  had  failed  to  reach  it  by  a 
direct  route  on  his  first  expedition. 

2  This  sentence  is  omitted  from  K. 

3  Camp  on  the  12th  was  at  Coyote  Wash,  some  three  miles  north 
of  Plaster  City.  San  Sebastian  was  at  Harper's  Well,  on  San 
Felipe  Creek,  where  it  is  joined  by  Carrizo  (Fish)  Creek. 


230     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

December  16. — ^We  expected  that  the  third  divi- 
sion would  arrive  today,  but  it  did  not  appear 
because  the  snow  delayed  it. 

December  17. — In  the  afternoon  the  lieutenant 
arrived  with  the  third  division  of  the  people  of  the 
expedition,  having  had  some  delays  on  the  way.  I 
observed  the  latitude  of  this  place  and  found  it  to 
be  in  33°  8',  and  so  I  say:  at  the  village  of  San 
Sebastian,  December  17,  1775,  meridian  altitude  of 
the  lower  limb  of  the  sun,  33°  10'. 

50.  December  18. — ^We  set  out  from  San  Sebas- 
tian at  one  o  ^clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  at  half  past 
four  halted  at  a  flat  with  some  grass  but  without 
water,  having  traveled  some  four  leagues  west  by 
north. — Four  leagues. 

51.  December  19. — We  set  out  from  El  Baxio  at 
nine  in  the  morning,  and  at  half  past  one  in  the 
afternoon  we  arrived  at  the  Pozo  de  San  Gregorio, 
a  place  with  little  grass  and  less  water,  having  trav- 
eled some  five  leagues  west  by  north. — Five  leagues. 

52.  December  20. — Leaving  the  Pozo  de  San 
Gregorio  at  nine  o  'clock  in  the  morning,  at  half  past 
one  in  the  afternoon  we  halted  on  the  bank  of  the 
Arroyo  de  Santa  Catharina  at  the  place  where  it 
ends  and  disappears,  having  traveled  very  slowly 
some  four  leagues  northwest  by  west.  Last  night 
the  cattle  stampeded  for  lack  of  water  and  turned 
back  to  San  Sebastian. — Four  leagues. 

December  21. — We  stayed  here  because  those 
who  remained  behind  gathering  up  the  cattle  had 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  231 

not  arrived,  and  two  soldiers  were  sent  with  some 
saddle  animals  to  meet  them. 

December  22. — A  little  before  night  the  sergeant 
arrived  with  those  who  had  remained  behind  assem- 
bling the  cattle,  some  of  which  were  lost. 

53.  December  23. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Arroyo 
de  Santa  Catharina  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and  a  little  before  three  halted  at  the  foot  of  the 
willow  near  the  source  of  the  arroyo,  having  trav- 
eled a  long  league  to  the  northwest  by  west.  This 
place  is  in  a  canyon  which  continues  to  ascend  and 
through  which  runs  the  road  that  crosses  the  Sierra 
Madre  de  California.^ — One  league. 

54.  December  24. — Leaving  the  Pie  del  Sauce  at 
half  past  nine  in  the  morning,  at  about  two  in  the 
afternoon  we  halted  in  the  same  canyon  at  a  dry 
arroyo  not  very  far  from  a  small  spring  of  water, 
having  traveled  some  four  short  leagues  to  the  west- 
northwest. — Four  leagues. 

December  25. — Because  a  little  before  midnight 
on  this  holy  night  of  the  Nativity  the  wife  of  a 
soldier  was  happily  delivered  of  a  boy,  and  because 
the  day  was  very  raw  and  foggy,  we  decided  to 
remain  here  today. 

55.  December  26. — "We  set  out  from  the  Arroyo 
Seco  at  a  quarter  past  nine  in  the  morning,  and 

1  Camp  on  the  18th  was  near  San  Felipe  Creek  and  just  outside 
the  entrance  to  Borrego  Valley.  San  Gregorio  was  in  Borrego 
Valley,  just  west  of  Borrego  Mountain.  Camp  on  the  20th  was  on 
Coyote  Creek,  just  above  Beatty's  Ranch  house.  Pie  del  Sauce  (the 
Foot  of  the  Willow)   was  at  Reed's  Springs  on  Arroyo  del  Coyote. 


232     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

about  two  in  the  afternoon  halted  in  a  flat  close  to 
the  rocks  which  form  the  pass  of  the  Sierra  Madre 
de  California,  called  the  Puerto  de  San  Carlos, 
having  traveled  some  three  long  leagues  to  the 
north-northwest,  and  wound  about  along  the  ridge 
for  a  distance  of  about  a  league  until  we  reached  the 
top  of  the  sierra.  It  must  have  been  about  five 
o^clock  in  the  afternoon  when  we  felt  a  tremor 
which  appeared  to  be  an  earthquake  of  very  short 
duration,  accompanied  by  short,  sharp  rumbling. — 
Three  leagues. 

56.  December  27. — ^We  set  out  from  the  flat  and 
the  Puerto  de  San  Carlos  at  quarter  to  ten  in  the 
morning,  and  at  half  past  two  in  the  afternoon  halted 
at  the  beginning  of  the  Canada  de  San  Patricio  near 
the  source  of  its  arroyo,  having  traveled  some  six 
leagues,  about  three  to  the  northwest,  and  the  rest 
to  the  west-northwest.  Here  the  country  is  better 
than  the  foregoing,  and  has  an  entirely  different 
aspect  from  that  which  remains  behind  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Puerto  de  San  Carlos.^ — Six  leagues. 

December  28. — The  woman  recently  delivered 
was  somewhat  ill  this  morning,  and  for  this  reason 
we  remained  here  today.  A  soldier  brought  some 
rocks  which  showed  signs  of  minerals,  and  some  per- 
sons were  inclined  to  say  that  in  these  sierras  and 
farther  down  there  were  mines,  because  the  soil  in- 

1  The  march  was  up  Coyote  Canyon.  Camp  on  the  24th  was  at 
Upper  Willows  or  the  Fig  Tree.  Puerto  de  San  Carlos  was  at  Fred 
Clark  *s  corral,  at  the  head  of  Nance  Canyon,  a  branch  of  the  Coyote. 
Canada  de  San  Patricio  was  Bautista  Canyon,  camp  on  the  27th  being 
near  its  head. 


FONT'S  SHOET  DIARY  233 

dicated  it.  I  observed  the  latitude  of  this  place  and 
found  it  to  be  in  33°  37',  and  so  I  say:  at  the  Canada 
de  San  Patricio  and  the  head  of  its  arroyo  on  the 
28th  of  December,  1775,  meridian  altitude  of  the 
lower  limb  of  the  sun,  32°  48'. 

57.  December  29. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Canada 
de  San  Patricio  at  half  past  nine  in  the  morning,  and 
at  half  past  four  in  the  afternoon  halted  on  the  banks 
of  the  Arroyo  de  San  Joseph  at  the  end  of  the  can- 
yon which  we  were  following,  having  traveled  seven 
long  leagues  northwest  by  west,  winding  about  with 
some  turns  to  the  north. — Seven  leagues. 

58.  December  30. — Leaving  camp  at  the  Arroyo 
de  San  Joseph  at  a  quarter  past  nine  in  the  morn- 
ing, at  a  quarter  past  two  in  the  afternoon  we  halted 
in  the  valley  of  San  Joseph  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  hav- 
ing traveled  five  leagues  to  the  west-northwest.^ — 
Five  leagues. 

59.  December  31. — ^We  set  out  from  the  foot  of 
the  hill  at  a  quarter  past  nine  in  the  morning,  and  at 
a  quarter  to  five  in  the  afternoon  arrived  at  the  bank 
of  the  Santa  Ana  Eiver,  having  traveled  some  eight 
leagues  to  the  west-northwest  with  some  short  turns 
at  times  to  the  west. — Eight  leagues. 

January  1,  1776. — Because  yesterday's  journey 
was  long  and  the  cattle  had  arrived  late,  it  was  de- 
cided to  do  no  more  today  than  to  ford  the  river 
which,  although  it  is  narrow,  has  a  large  volume  of 

1  Camp  on  the  29th  was  on  San  Jacinto  River  above  San  Jacinto; 
on  the  30th  near  Mt.  Rudolph;  and  on  the  31st  on  Santa  Ana  River, 
west  of  Mt.  Rubidoux. 


234     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

water,  is  very  rapid,  and  has  very  high  banks.  At 
two  in  the  afternoon  the  fording  of  the  river  was 
begun,  and  in  an  hour  it  was  successfully  crossed 
and  we  halted  near  its  banks  on  the  other  side. 

60.  January  2. — We  set  out  from  the  Santa  Ana 
River  at  a  quarter  past  eight  in  the  morning  and  at 
a  quarter  past  two  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  the 
Arroyo  de  los  Alisos,  having  traveled  six  leagues 
to  the  west-northwest. — Six  leagues. 

61.  January  3. — We  left  the  Arroyo  de  los  Alisos 
at  a  quarter  past  nine  in  the  morning,  and  at  three 
in  the  afternoon  halted  on  the  banks  of  an  arroyo 
which  joins  others  and  with  them  forms  the  San 
Gabriel  River,  having  traveled  some  six  leagues  to 
the  west-northwest.^ — Six  leagues. 

62.  January  4. — Setting  out  from  the  Arroyo 
de  San  Gabriel  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  at 
eleven  we  arrived  at  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel,  in- 
dicated on  the  map  by  the  letter  B,  having  traveled 
some  two  leagues  to  the  west-southwest,  inclining 
slightly  to  the  west.  The  mission  of  San  Gabriel  is 
situated  about  eight  leagues  from  the  sea  at  a  place 
having  most  beautiful  advantages,  with  plenty  of 
water  and  very  fine  lands.  The  site  is  level  and  un- 
forested,  and  is  about  two  leagues  from  the  Sierra 
Nevada  to  the  north,  which  we  have  had  on  our  right 
since  leaving  the  Pass  of  San  Carlos,  and  which 

1  Arroyo  de  los  Alisos  was  San  Antonio  Creek,  and  camp  on  the 
2d  was  near  Ontario.  On  the  3d  camp  was  at  San  Gabriel  Wash 
northeast  of  San  Gabriel.  Between  Anza's  two  expeditions,  Mission 
San  Gabriel  had  been  moved  a  league  northward  to  its  present 
site. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  235 

appears  to  end  here.  At  this  mission  we  found  the 
commander  of  Monterey,  Captain  Don  Fernando  de 
Ribera  y  Moncada,  who  was  on  his  way  to  the  pre- 
sidio of  San  Diego  because  of  the  revolt  of  the 
Indians  of  the  mission  there,  who  destroyed  it  and 
killed  its  father  missionary,  Fray  Francisco  Luis 
Jaume. — Two  leagues. 

January  5. — ^We  remained  here  to  rest,  and  the 
commanders  conferred  concerning  the  matter  of  the 
rebellion  of  the  Indians  of  San  Diego. 

January  6. — Mass  was  sung  in  thanksgiving  for 
our  arrival.  Commander  Anza  offered  to  accompany 
Commander  Ribera  to  the  port  and  presidio  of  San 
Diego  with  twenty  soldiers  of  the  expedition  to  aid 
in  the  punishment  of  the  rebellious  Indians,  if  this 
should  be  necessary  to  pacify  the  land;  and  he 
agreed  to  set  out  the  next  day  for  the  presidio  of 
San  Diego,  whither  I  went  also,  the  people  and  the 
rest  of  the  expedition  remaining  at  San  Gabriel  until 
we  should  return. 

63.  January  7. — We  set  out  from  the  mission  of 
San  Gabriel  at  midday  in  light  order  of  marching, 
and  a  little  after  seven  o  ^clock  at  night  halted  on  the 
banks  of  the  Santa  Ana  River  after  fording  it,  hav- 
ing traveled  some  ten  long  leagues,  five  to  the  south- 
east, three  to  the  east-southeast,  and  the  last  two  al- 
most due  east  with  some  turns  to  the  northeast. — 
Ten  leagues. 

64.  January  8. — ^We  left  the  Santa  Ana  River  at 
seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  past 


236     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

four  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  the  Arroyo  de  Santa 
Maria  Madalena,  also  called  La  Quema,  having 
traveled  some  fourteen  leagues,  about  five  to  the 
east-southeast,  and  four  to  the  southeast,  winding 
around  during  all  this  stretch  as  far  as  El  Trabuco 
on  account  of  the  hills,  the  rest  of  the  distance  being 
to  the  southeast  by  south. — Fourteen  leagues. 

65.  January  9. — Leaving  Arroyo  de  la  Quema 
at  half  past  seven  in  the  morning,  at  five  in  the  after- 
noon we  halted  at  the  San  Juan  Capistrano  River, 
having  traveled  some  fourteen  leagues.  The  route 
was  very  winding,  with  many  turns  on  account  of 
the  hills,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  the  direction  in  gen- 
eral was  halfway  to  the  east-southeast  and  the  other 
half  to  the  southeast. — Fourteen  leagues. 

66.  January  10. — From  San  Juan  Capistrano 
River  we  set  out  at  half  past  seven  in  the  morning, 
and  at  half  past  three  in  the  afternoon  halted  at 
the  village  of  La  Soledad,  having  traveled  some 
twelve  leag-ues  in  varying  directions,  about  three 
leagues  to  the  southeast,  two  to  the  south-southeast, 
four  nearly  south,  as  far  as  San  Dieguillo,  the  rest 
to  the  south-southeast,  going  fiinally  almost  to  the 
southeast. — Twelve  leagues. 

67.  January  11. — ^We  set  out  from  the  rancheria 
of  La  Soledad  at  half  past  seven  in  the  morning,  and 
about  half  past  ten  arrived  at  the  presidio  of  San 
Diego,  indicated  on  the  map  by  the  letter  C,  having 
traveled  four  long  leagues,  the  first  two  being  nearly 
to  the  south-southeast,  with  some  declination  to  the 
south,  and  the  last  two  southeast  and  south-south- 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  237 

east,  traveling  most  of  these  last  on  the  beach  of  the 
Puerto  Anegado.^ 

The  presidio  of  San  Diego  is  situated  in  a  very 
bad  place,  on  a  hill  dominated  by  others,  small  and 
uneven,  at  the  foot  of  which  flows  the  river.  This 
stream,  which  is  dry  much  of  the  year,  comes  from 
the  Sierra  Madre  de  California,  not  far  away.  Flow- 
ing from  about  the  northeast  and  bending  around  the 
hill,  it  empties  into  the  port,  which  is  distant  from 
the  presidio  some  two  leagues  to  the  south.  Here  we 
found  the  father  minister  of  the  destroyed  mission 
of  San  Diego,  which  was  situated  about  a  league 
upstream,  and  also  the  two  father  ministers  who 
were  beginning  to  found  the  mission  of  San  Juan 
Capistrano  near  the  site  of  La  Quema,  but  aban- 
doned it  on  the  uprising  of  the  Indians.  The  fathers 
and  all  the  garrison  welcomed  our  arrival  with  great 
joy. — Four  leagues. 

January  12. — Today  was  quiet,  although  yester- 
day was  very  bad  because  of  the  extraordinary  wind 
that  blew.  I  observed  the  latitude  of  this  presidio 
and  found  it  to  be  in  32°  441/2'. 

January  13. — They  began  to  make  investigations 
concerning  the  recent  uprising,  the  destruction  of 
the  mission,  and  the  murder  of  the  father  minister, 

1  Camp  on  the  7th  was  near  Olive ;  that  on  the  8th  was  just 
north  of  San  Juan  Capistrano.  The  stream  then  called  San  Juan 
Capistrano  was  the  present  San  Luis  Rey  River.  La  Soledad  was 
in  the  present  Soledad  Valley,  near  Sorrento.  San  Dieguillo  now 
bears  the  name  San  Dieguito.  Puerto  Anegado  was  False  Bay, 
just  north  of  San  Diego.  The  old  town  of  San  Diego  was  near 
San  Diego  River  at  the  northern  edge  of  the  present  city. 


238     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

by  the  examination  of  some  Indian  headmen  who 
were  imprisoned  in  the  presidio. 

January  14. — The  Mass  of  the  Sweetest  Name  of 
Jesus  was  sung  for  the  successful  pacification  of  the 
rebellious  Indians. 

January  15. — They  continued  the  investigation 
of  the  affair  of  the  uprising. 

January  16. — Last  night  Commander  Ribera  dis- 
patched the  sergeant  of  the  presidio  with  fifteen  sol- 
diers to  go  to  the  village  of  San  Luis  to  arrest  some 
revolted  headmen,  whom  he  knew  to  be  there  through 
a  report  given  by  an  old  Indian  woman. 

January  17. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was 
fair,  but  in  the  afternoon  the  horizon  became  cov- 
ered over  with  a  great  fog  which  came  up  from 
the  sea. 

January  18. — The  weather  continued  to  be  very 
damp  and  dismal  on  account  of  the  fog. 

January  19. — At  night  the  sergeant  and  the  sol- 
diers returned  with  four  heathen  malefactors  under 
arrest,  and  with  the  report  that  the  rebellious  In- 
dians and  their  headmen  had  gone  up  into  the  sierra. 

January  20. — In  the  afternoon  I  saw  a  vivid  il- 
lustration of  the  burning  of  the  mission  of  San 
Diego.  By  accident  a  medium-sized  tule  hut  which 
served  as  a  blacksmith  shop  took  fire,  and  they  could 
not  extinguish  it,  try  as  hard  as  they  might. 

January  21. — It  began  to  rain  last  night  and  con- 
tinued all  day. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIAEY  239 

January  22. — The  day  was  very  damp  and  cloudy, 
but  it  did  not  rain. 

January  23. — It  continued  to  be  cold,  and  rained 
nearly  all  day.  During  these  days  they  have  been 
laboring  to  make  the  presidio  secure. 

January  24. — They  continued  during  these  days 
with  the  investigation  of  the  uprising,  etc. 

January  25. — Toward  night  Commander  Ribera 
dispatched  the  sergeant  with  fifteen  soldiers  to  go 
to  the  village  of  San  Luis  to  seize  some  culprits  who 
were  there. 

January  26. — About  dark  the  sergeant  and  the 
soldiers  returned  with  nine  captive  Indians,  of  whom 
two  were  petty  chiefs.  With  them  he  brought  half 
of  a  stole,  a  sash,  and  a  piece  of  a  cloak  with  its 
lining  torn  off.  From  the  prisoners  the  commander 
learned  that  another  principal  chief  had  gone  to  the 
village  of  La  Soledad,  and  he  at  once  sent  the  ser- 
geant and  soldiers  back  there  to  seize  him. 

January  27. — At  noon  the  sergeant  and  the 
soldiers  returned  without  any  captive  because  the 
Indian  whom  they  went  to  seek  had  fled  the  night 
before. 

January  28. — Nothing  in  particular  happened. 

January  29. — There  was  nothing  special. 

January  30. — This  day  passed  without  incident. 

January  31. — Nothing  in  particular  happened. 

February  1. — At  noon  the  courier  was  dispatched 
to  Mexico  with  six  soldiers  by  way  of  California^ 

1  He  means  Lower  California. 


240     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

with  a  report  to  the  viceroy  of  what  had  happened 
and  of  the  condition  of  this  presidio. 

February  2.— I  again  took  the  latitude  of  this 
presidio  to  see  if  it  agreed  with  the  previous  obser- 
vation, which  I  made  on  the  12th  of  January,  and  I 
found  it  to  be  in  the  same  32°  441/2',  and  so  I  say :  at 
the  presidio  of  the  port  of  San  Diego,  February  2, 
1776,  meridian  altitude  of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun, 
40°  14'. 

February  3. — Preparation  was  begun  for  our 
march  to  Monterey. 

February  4. — It  was  decided  to  set  out  tomorrow 
for  Monterey. 

February  5. — It  was  raining  at  daybreak,  and 
for  this  reason  the  march  was  postponed. 

February  6. — We  remained  here  because  it 
threatened  to  rain,  and  after  noon  it  actually  began 
to  do  so. 

February  7. — It  was  impossible  to  start  because 
it  rained  all  night  and  continued  most  of  the  day. 

February  8. — It  was  not  raining  this  morning, 
but  it  was  decided  to  remain  here  today  because  the 
weather  was  not  settled. 

68.  February  9. — Commander  Eibera  remaining 
here,  determined  not  to  move  until  he  should  finish 
capturing  the  culprits  and  make  the  presidio  secure, 
Commander  Anza  and  the  rest  of  us  set  out  from 
the  presidio  of  San  Diego  at  a  quarter  to  nine  in  the 
morning,  and  at  a  quarter  past  five  in  the  afternoon 
we  arrived  at  the  place  called  Agua  Hedionda,  hav- 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIAEY  241 

ing  traveled  some  thirteen  leagues  by  the  same  road 
and  by  directions  the  reverse  of  those  in  coming, 
mainly  to  the  northwest. — Thirteen  leagues. 

69.  February  10. — ^We  set  out  from  Agua  He- 
dionda  at  seven  o^clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  a 
quarter  to  six  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  a  small 
arroyo  a  league  before  reaching  La  Quema,  having 
traveled  some  sixteen  leagues,  the  principal  direc- 
tion being  to  the  northwest,  but  with  some  varia- 
tions, the  same  as  on  going. — Sixteen  leagues. 

70.  February  11. — ^We  set  out  from  the  small 
arroyo  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  half 
past  four  in  the  afternoon  halted  on  the  bank  of 
Santa  Ana  Eiver  after  fording  it,  having  traveled 
some  fifteen  leagues  in  varying  directions,  as  on 
going,  the  principal  one  being  to  the  northwest.^ — 
Fifteen  leagues. 

71.  February  12. — From  the  Santa  Ana  River 
we  set  out  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at 
two  in  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  the  mission  of 
San  Gabriel,  having  traveled  some  ten  leagues,  with 
some  variation  of  directions  as  on  going,  the  prin- 
cipal one  being  to  the  northwest.  At  the  mission  we 
learned  that  last  night  a  soldier  of  Monterey,  with 
four  servants  and  muleteers  of  the  expedition,  de- 
serted with  thirty  saddle  animals  and  other  things 
that  they  stole,  and  that  the  lieutenant  of  the  expedi- 
tion and  nine  soldiers  had  set  out  to  overtake  them. 

1  Agua  Hedionda  still  bears  the  same  name.     Camp  on  the  10th 
was  near  San  Juan  Capistrano  and  on  the  11th  near  Olive. 


242     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

February  13. — On  account  of  this  occurrence  it 
was  decided  to  wait  a  few  days  until  the  lieutenant 
should  return.  I  observed  the  latitude  of  this  mis- 
sion, but  because  the  day  was  cloudy  I  was  not  sat- 
isfied with  the  result. 

February  14. — At  night  arrived  two  of  the  sol- 
diers who  went  with  the  lieutenant,  he  having  sent 
them  back  because  their  horses  became  tired  out; 
and  they  told  how  the  lieutenant  went  determined  to 
overtake  the  deserters,  whose  fresh  tracks  he  was 
following. 

February  15. — There  was  nothing  in  particular. 

February  16. — ^We  continued  without  any  spe- 
cial occurrence. 

February  17. — I  again  observed  the  latitude  of 
this  mission  and  found  it  to  be  in  34°  5%',  and  so  I 
say:  at  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel,  February  17, 
1776,  meridian  altitude  of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun, 
43°  42'. 

February  18. — Nothing  of  note  occurred. 

February  19. — I  again  made  an  observation  for 
my  own  satisfaction,  and  it  came  out  with  the  same 
latitude  as  on  the  17th.  It  was  decided  not  to  wait 
for  the  lieutenant  any  longer  than  tomorrow,  be- 
cause time  was  passing  and  the  completion  of  the 
journey  of  the  expedition  to  Monterey  was  being 
delayed. 

February  20. — The  lieutenant  did  not  return,  and 
so  it  was  decided  to  continue  the  journey. 

72.  February  21. — We  set  forth  from  the  mis- 
sion of  San  Gabriel  at  half  past  eleven  in  the  morn- 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIAEY  243 

ing,  and  at  half  past  four  in  the  afternoon  we  halted 
at  the  Puertezuelo,  having  traveled  six  leagues, 
two  to  the  west  with  some  turns  to  one  side  and  the 
other,  and  the  rest  of  the  way  to  the  west-northwest. 
At  two  leagues  we  crossed  the  Porciiincula  River. — 
Six  leagues. 

73.  February  22. — We  set  out  from  the  Puerte- 
zuelo at  eight  o^clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  half 
past  three  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  the  place  called 
Agua  Escondida,  having  traveled  some  ten  leagues, 
about  seven  of  them  being  west  by  north,  and  the 
rest  west-southwest. — Ten  leagues. 

74.  February  23. — ^We  set  out  from  Agua  Escon- 
dida at  eight  o  ^clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  half  past 
six  in  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  the  Santa  Clara 
River,  having  traveled  some  fifteen  leagues,  three 
to  the  west-southwest,  five  to  the  west,  one  to  the 
northeast  in  order  to  reach  the  Cuesta  Empinada, 
and  finally,  having  descended  the  slope,  some  six  to 
the  west  until  we  reached  the  river.^ — Fifteen  leagues. 

75.  February  24. — From  the  Santa  Clara  River 
we  set  out  at  half  past  nine  in  the  morning,  and  at 
half  past  three  in  the  afternoon  halted  on  a  small 
eminence  on  the  shore  of  the  sea  near  the  village  of 
La  Rinconada,  having  traveled  some  nine  leagues, 
three  to  the  west  until  we  reached  the  sea  beach  and 
the  first  village  of  the  Channel  of  Santa  Barbara, 
called  La  Carpinteria,  situated  near  the  Rio  de  la 

1  The  Puertezuelo  was  the  gap  at  Glendale ;  Porcitincula  Eiver  was 
the  Los  Angeles ;  Agua  Escondida  was  at  or  near  Las  Virgenes  Creek. 
The  Cuesta  Empinada  was  Cone  jo  Grade. 


244     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

Assumpta,  the  rest  of  the  way  being  west  by  north 
with  some  deviation  toward  the  west  at  the  points 
along  the  coast,  of  which  there  are  many. — Nine 
leagues. 

76.  February  25. — ^We  set  out  from  the  village  of 
La  Rinconada  at  nine  o  'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at 
three  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  a  place  called  the 
vicinity  of  the  villages  of  Mescaltitan,  having  trav- 
eled some  nine  leagues,  about  six  west  by  north,  two 
northwest,  and  finally  about  a  short  league  to  the 
southwest. — Nine  leagues. 

77.  February  26. — ^We  set  out  from  the  vicinity 
of  Mescaltitan  at  a  quarter  past  eight  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  at  half  past  three  in  the  afternoon  halted  at 
an  elevation  on  the  shores  of  the  sea  near  Rancheria 
Nueva,  having  traveled  some  ten  leagues,  most  of 
the  way  along  the  beach,  about  one  league  being  to- 
ward the  southwest,  two  to  the  west-southwest  to 
get  around  the  estuaries  of  Mescaltitan,  the  re- 
mainder being  almost  west-northwest  with  some  de- 
viation to  the  west.^ — Ten  leagues. 

78.  February  27. — ^We  set  out  from  camp  near 
Rancheria  Nueva  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  at  half  past  three  in  the  afternoon  halted  on  the 
beach  of  the  sea  near  the  village  of  El  Coxo,  having 
traveled  some  ten  leagues  almost  west-northwest, 
with  some  deviation  to  the  west. — Ten  leagues. 

1  Rio  de  la  Assumpta  was  the  San  Buenaventura  Eiver.  The  name 
Carpinteria  now  applies  to  a  town  nearer  to  Santa  Barbara.  La 
Rinconada  was  at  Rincon  Creek,  near  Rineon  Point.  The  villages 
of  Mescaltitan  were  west  of  Santa  Barbara,  near  Goleta.  The  name 
is  preserved  in  Mescal  Island,  near  here.  Rancheria  Nueva  was 
evidently  near  Tajiguas  Creek. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  245 

79.  February  28. — ^We  set  out  from  camp  near 
the  village  of  El  Coxo  at  eight  o  'clock  in  the  morning 
and  at  four  in  the  afternoon  halted  near  the  Santa 
Eosa  Eiver,  having  traveled  some  twelve  leagues, 
about  one  northwest,  two  north-northwest,  two 
northwest,  and  two  west-northwest,  following  a  semi- 
circle which  the  coast  makes  here  until  we  doubled 
Punta  de  la  Concepcion,  which  is  the  last  point  of  the 
Channel  and  the  most  extended.  Then  we  went  about 
a  league  to  the  north,  two  to  the  north-northwest, 
and  two  to  the  northwest,  halting  near  the  beach. — 
Twelve  leagues. 

80.  February  29. — ^We  broke  camp  near  the  Santa 
Eosa  Eiver  at  noon.  It  was  not  possible  to  start 
earlier  because  it  was  necessary  to  wait  for  low  tide 
in  order  to  ford  the  stream.  At  a  quarter  past  three 
we  halted  at  the  Laguna  Graciosa,  having  traveled 
some  four  leagues  to  the  north  with  some  deviation 
to  the  northeast. — Four  leagues. 

81.  March  1. — ^We  set  out  from  Laguna  Graciosa 
at  eight  o  'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  past 
five  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  the  village  of  El  Bu- 
chon,  having  traveled  some  thirteen  leagues,  about 
three  to  the  northeast,  one  to  the  north-northeast, 
two  to  the  north,  two  to  the  north-northwest,  three 
to  the  northwest  along  the  beach,  and  two  to  the 
north-northwest. — Thirteen  leagues. 

82.  March  2.— We  left  the  village  of  El  Buchon 
at  eight  o  'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  to 
twelve  arrived  at  the  mission  of  San  Luis  Obispo, 
indicated  on  the  map  by  the  letter  D,  having  traveled 


246     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

some  four  leagues,  about  one  to  the  north,  and  the 
rest  of  the  way  to  the  north-northwest  and  north- 
west, swinging  somewhat  to  the  west  a  little  before 
arriving.  The  mission  of  San  Luis  Obispo  is  situated 
in  a  beautiful  site  on  an  elevation  near  an  arroyo 
close  by  the  Sierra  de  Santa  Lucia  and  three  leagues 
from  the  sea,  and  it  has  very  fertile  lands.  The  In- 
dians of  this  mission  are  neat  and  clean,  and  are 
better  featured  and  more  comely  than  those  of  any 
other  tribe  that  I  have  seen.^ — Four  leagues. 

March  3. — ^We  remained  here  today.  I  observed 
the  latitude  of  this  mission  and  I  found  it  to  be  in 
35°  I7I/2',  and  so  I  say:  at  the  mission  of  San  Luis 
Obispo,  March  3, 1776,  meridian  altitude  of  the  lower 
limb  of  the  sun,  48°  4'. 

83.  March  4. — ^We  set  out  from  the  mission  of 
San  Luis  Obispo  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
at  a  quarter  to  five  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  a  place 
called  La  Assumpcion,  on  the  banks  of  the  Monterey 
Eiver,  below  its  junction  with  the  Santa  Margarita 
Eiver,  having  traveled  some  ten  leagues,  about  one 
to  the  northeast,  four  to  the  north,  one  to  the  north- 
northwest,  two  to  the  northwest,  and  two  to  the 
west-northwest. — Ten  leagues. 

84.  March  5. — We  set  out  from  La  Assumpcion 
at  a  quarter  to  nine  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter 

1  Eancheria  del  Cojo  was  at  El  Cojo  Canyon;  Point  Concepci6n 
still  bears  the  name;  the  Santa  Eosa  River  was  the  Santa  Ynez; 
Laguna  Graciosa  was  at  San  Antonio  Creek;  Eancheria  del  Buehon 
was  in  Price  Canyon,  two  or  three  miles  north  of  Pismo;  Mission  San 
Luis  Obispo  still  occupies  the  same  site. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIAEY  247 

past  four  in  the  afternoon  halted  on  the  banks  of  the 
San  Antonio  Eiver  at  the  place  called  the  Primer 
Vado,  having  traveled  some  ten  leagues,  about  three 
nearly  to  the  north,  five  to  the  northwest,  and  two 
to  the  west-northwest. — Ten  leagues. 

85.  March  6. — From  the  Primer  Vado  we  set  out 
at  a  quarter  to  eight  in  the  morning,  and  at  four  in 
the  afternoon  arrived  at  the  mission  of  San  Antonio 
de  los  Robles,  indicated  on  the  map  by  the  letter  E, 
having  traveled  ten  long  leagues,  some  four  to  the 
west  and  west-northwest,  two  to  the  northwest,  two 
almost  to  the  north,  two  to  the  northwest,  and  just 
before  arriving,  a  short  distance  to  the  west-north- 
west. 

The  mission  of  San  Antonio  is  situated  in  the 
Sierra  de  Santa  Lucia,  which  begins  a  little  below 
the  mission  of  San  Luis  and,  following  the  coast,  goes 
to  end  near  the  mission  of  San  Carlos  del  Carmelo. 
It  is  in  a  valley  that  is  not  very  narrow  and  is  some 
ten  leagues  long,  and  thickly  grown  with  large  oaks, 
for  which  reason  the  mission  is  called  San  Antonio 
de  la  Canada  de  los  Eobles.  The  site  is  very  good, 
with  fine  lands,  and  with  plentiful  water  from  the 
river  which  runs  through  this  valley ;  but  it  is  some- 
what distant  from  the  sea.  The  Indians  of  this  mis- 
sion are  entirely  distinct  from  those  which  I  have 
seen  up  to  here.^ — Ten  leagues. 

1  Santa  Margarita  River  is  now  called  Santa  Margarita  Creek; 
Assumpcion  was  near  Templeton;  the  Primer  Vado  (first  ford)  of 
the  San  Antonio  was  about  at  King  Well.  Mission  San  Antonio  had 
shortly  before  been  moved  a  league  north  to  the  site  which  its  ruins 
now  occupy. 


248     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

March  7. — A  little  after  noon  the  lieutenant  of 
the  expedition,  who  went  in  pursuit  of  the  deserters, 
arrived  at  this  mission.  He  overtook  and  arrested 
the  runaways  a  little  beyond  Pozo  Salobre  del  Carri- 
zal  on  the  way  to  the  Laguna  de  Santa  Olalla,  and 
left  them  in  prison  at  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel.  I 
observed  the  latitude  of  this  mission  and  found  it  to 
be  in  36°  2l^',  and  so  I  say:  at  the  mission  of  San 
Antonio  de  los  Eobles,  the  7th  of  March,  1776,  me- 
ridian altitude  of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun,  48°  52'. 

86.  March  8. — ^We  set  out  from  the  mission  of 
San  Antonio  de  los  Robles  at  a  quarter  to  nine  in 
the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  past  three  in  the  after- 
noon halted  on  the  banks  of  Monterey  River  at  the 
place  called  Los  Ossitos,  having  traveled  some  nine 
leagues,  about  two  to  the  northeast,  three  to  the 
north,  a  short  stretch  to  the  north-northwest  until 
we  had  passed  a  spur  of  the  Sierra  de  Santa  Lucia, 
and  the  rest  of  the  way  to  the  northwest. — Nine 
leagues. 

87.  March  9. — ^We  set  out  from  Los  Ossitos  at 
eight  o^clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  past 
three  in  the  afternoon  halted  on  the  banks  of  the 
Monterey  Eiver  at  the  place  called  Los  Correos,  hav- 
ing traveled  ten  leagues,  about  six  northwest  by 
west,  and  the  rest  to  the  west-northwest. — Ten 
leagues. 

88.  March  10. — ^We  set  out  from  Los  Correos  at 
a  quarter  past  nine  in  the  morning,  and  at  half  past 
four  in  the  afternoon  arrived  at  the  royal  presidio 
and  port  of  Monterey,  indicated  on  the  map  by  the 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  249 

letter  F,  having  traveled  some  ten  leagues,  eight  to 
the  west-northwest,  and  the  last  two  almost  to  the 
west. — Ten  leagues. 

The  royal  presidio  of  Monterey  is  situated  in  a 
plain  formed  by  the  Sierra  de  Pinos,  which  ends 
here.  It  is  near  the  sea  and  about  a  quarter  of  a 
league  from  the  harbor  of  Monterey.  The  harbor 
consists  of  a  small  inlet  affording  slight  shelter, 
formed  by  Punta  de  Pinos,  which  runs  seaward 
about  two  leagues  and,  with  Punta  de  Ano  Nuevo, 
which  extends  into  the  sea  about  twelve  leagues, 
forms  a  large  but  very  open  bay.  Punta  de  Pinos 
is  nearly  north  of  the  presidio  of  Monterey  and 
distant  from  it  about  three  leagues,  and  Punta  de 
Ano  Nuevo  is  about  northwest  of  the  harbor  and 
distant  from  it  about  ten  or  twelve  leagues. 

89.  March  11. — In  the  morning  the  very  rever- 
end father  president  of  the  missions.  Fray  Juni- 
pero  Serra,  came  from  the  mission  of  San  Carlos 
del  Carmelo  with  four  other  friars  to  welcome  us, 
and  we  sang  the  Mass  as  an  act  of  thanksgiving  for 
our  successful  arrival.  I  observed  the  latitude  of 
this  presidio  (although  the  observation  was  not  alto- 
gether to  my  satisfaction  nor  with  the  exactitude 
which  I  desired,  notwithstanding  that  I  gave  it  the 
greatest  care,  because  the  day  was  foggy),  and  I 
found  it  to  be  in  36°  36%',  and  so  I  say :  at  the  royal 
presidio  of  the  port  of  Monterey,  on  the  11th  of 
March,  1776,  meridian  altitude  of  the  lower  limb  of 
the  sun,  49°  52'. 


250     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

It  was  decided  that  we  should  go  to  the  mission 
of  Carmelo,  partly  to  yield  to  the  urging  of  the  rev- 
erend father  president,  but  principally  because  at  the 
presidio  there  was  no  place  for  us  to  lodge.  And  so, 
the  lieutenant  of  the  expedition  remaining  at  the 
presidio  with  the  people  we  had  brought,  we  set  out 
from  the  presidio  of  Monterey,  the  commander  and 
I  and  a  few  others,  at  four  o  'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and  at  five  we  arrived  at  the  mission  of  San  Carlos 
del  Carmelo,  indicated  on  the  map  by  the  letter  G, 
having  traveled  a  long  league  to  the  southwest  by 
south.  Here  the  fathers,  who  were  seven  in  number, 
welcomed  us  by  chanting  the  Te  Deum,  with  joyful 
peal  of  bells  and  singular  happiness.  The  mission  of 
San  Carlos  del  Carmelo  is  situated  on  a  small  eleva- 
tion near  the  sea  close  to  the  Carmelo  River,  which 
empties  into  a  little  bay  formed  at  this  place  by  the 
Sierra  de  Santa  Lucia,  which  ends  here,  and  Punta 
de  Cipreses.  It  is  an  excellent  site,  with  very  fertile 
lands.^ — One  league. 

March  12. — ^We  remained  at  this  mission  to  rest. 
The  little  bay  called  Puerto  del  Carmelo  by  Captain 
Viscaino  does  not  deserve  the  name  of  port,  for, 
aside  from  the  fact  that  it  has  a  bad  bottom  and  is 
very  rocky,  it  is  completely  unprotected  from  the 
northwest  wind,  which  prevails  here,  and  has  only  a 

1  The  route  led  from  Mission  San  Antonio  down  Kent  Canyon, 
past  King  City  to  Los  Ositos  a  few  miles  to  the  northwest;  Los 
Correos  was  near  Somavia  School.  Punta  de  Pinos,  Punta  de  Ano 
Nuevo,  Carmel  River,  Carmel  Bay,  and  Cypress  Point  still  bear  the 
same  names  either  in  Spanish  or  in  an  Anglicized  form. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  251 

little  protection  on  the  east  and  south  by  the  Sierra 
de  Santa  Lucia. 

March  13. — In  the  middle  of  the  forenoon  the 
commander  was  taken  with  a  pain  in  the  groin  which 
was  so  severe  that  he  was  forced  to  go  to  bed. 

March  14. — The  commander  continued  to  be  sick 
in  bed  and  unable  to  get  up. 

March  15. — The  commander  continued  without 
any  particular  improvement. 

March  16. — The  commander  remained  as  before. 
I  observed  the  latitude  of  this  mission  and  found  it 
to  be  in  36°  34i/^',  and  so  I  say:  at  the  mission  of 
San  Carlos  del  Carmelo,  March  16,  1776,  meridian 
altitude  of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun,  51°  52'. 

March  17. — This  morning  the  commander  was 
somewhat  better. 

March  18. — The  commander  continued  to  im- 
prove a  little. 

March  19. — The  commander  continued  to  improve 
somewhat.  I  again  observed  the  latitude  of  this  mis- 
sion. I  do  not  note  down  the  result  because  it  came 
out  the  same  as  on  the  16th,  with  the  difference  of 
one  minute  more. 

March  20. — This  morning  the  commander  was  so 
much  better  that  he  decided  to  continue  the  journey 
two  days  from  now  for  the  exploration  of  the  port 
of  San  Francisco. 

March  21. — I  again  observed,  and  at  the  same 
time  Father  Fray  Francisco  Palou  with  his  graph- 
ometer  and  Father  Fray  Juan  Crespi  with  his  astro- 


252     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

labe  made  observations.  I  do  not  note  down  the  re- 
sult because  it  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  16th,  with 
half  a  minute  more,  although  in  the  minutes  we  all 
three  differed  somewhat. 

90.  March  22. — All  three  of  us  again  observed 
the  same  as  yesterday,  and  the  results  were  almost 
the  same  as  the  last,  although  we  did  not  agree  in 
the  minutes  this  time,  either.  At  three  o  'clock  in  the 
afternoon  we  set  out  from  the  mission  of  San  Carlos 
del  Carmelo,  the  commander  and  I,  to  go  with  the 
lieutenant  of  the  expedition  to  the  port  of  San  Fran- 
cisco ;  and  at  four  we  arrived  at  the  presidio  of  Mon- 
terey, having  traveled  a  league  northeast  by  north. 
— One  league. 

91.  March  23. — At  half  past  nine  in  the  morning, 
accompanied  by  the  lieutenant  and  eleven  soldiers, 
we  set  out  from  the  presidio  of  Monterey;  and  at  a 
quarter  to  four  in  the  afternoon  we  halted  on  the 
other  side  of  the  valley  of  Santa  Delfina  at  the  en- 
trance to  a  canyon,  at  the  place  called  La  Natividad, 
having  traveled  about  eight  long  leagues,  somewhat 
more  than  one  to  the  east,  three  to  the  northeast, 
with  some  inclination  to  the  north,  until  we  crossed 
the  Monterey  Kiver,  and  then  about  three  to  the 
northeast,  and  one  to  the  north-northeast. — Eight 
leagues. 

92.  March  24. — ^We  left  La  Natividad  at  a  quar- 
ter to  eight  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  past 
four  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  the  Arroyo  de  las 
Llagas,  having  traveled  some  twelve  leagues,  two  to 
the  northeast  and  somewhat  to  the  east  until  we 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  253 

reached  the  top  of  the  sierra  in  order  to  descend  to 
the  Arroyo  de  San  Benito ;  one  to  the  north,  and  two 
to  the  northwest,  inclining  a  little  to  the  north,  until 
we  crossed  the  Pajaro  Eiver,  one  almost  north,  three 
to  the  north-northwest  through  the  valley  of  San 
Bernardino,  and  three  to  the  northwest.^ — Twelve 
leagues. 

93.  March  25. — We  set  out  from  the  Arroyo  de 
las  Llagas  at  a  quarter  to  eight  in  the  morning,  and 
at  four  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  the  arroyo  of  San 
Joseph  Cupertino,  having  traveled  some  twelve 
leagues,  three  to  the  northwest,  two  northwest  by 
west,  five  west-northwest,  and  two  west  by  north. 
[This  place  is  in  the  Llano  de  los  Robles.^] 

94.  March  26. — ^We  set  out  from  the  arroyo  of 
San  Joseph  Cupertino  at  half  past  seven  in  the 
morning,  and  at  a  quarter  to  four  in  the  afternoon 
halted  at  a  small  arroyo,  almost  dry,  about  a  short 
league  after  passing  the  arroyo  of  San  Matheo,  hav- 
ing traveled  some  twelve  leagues,  one  to  the  north- 
west, another  to  the  north-northwest,  some  four  to 
the  west-northwest,  until  we  crossed  the  arroyo  of 
San  Francisco,  and  afterward  three  northwest  by 
west,  and  three  west-northwest. — Twelve  leagues. 

95.  March  27. — At  seven  in  the  morning  we  set 
out  from  the  little  arroyo,  and  shortly  after  eleven 

1  Santa  Delfina  Valley  was  the  Salinas  Valley.  La  Natividad 
is  still  on  the  map,  on  the  highway  from  Salinas  to  Mission  San 
Juan  Bautista;  Arroyo  San  Benito  and  Pajaro  Eiver  still  bear 
the  same  names.  The  San  Bernardino  Valley  was  the  present 
Gilroy  Valley.    Camp  was  on  Llagas  Creek  near  San  Martin. 

2  Omitted  from  K. 


254     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

halted  on  the  banks  of  a  lake  or  spring  of  very  fine 
water  near  the  mouth  of  the  port  of  San  Francisco, 
having  traveled  some  six  leagues,  the  first  three  to 
the  northwest,  and  the  last  three  to  the  north-north- 
west, and  even  almost  to  the  north/ — Six  leagues. 
The  port  of  San  Francisco,  indicated  on  the  map 
by  the  letter  H,  is  a  marvel  of  nature,  and  might 
well  be  called  the  Harbor  of  Harbors,  because  of 
its  great  capacity  and  of  several  small  bays  which 
it  enfolds  in  its  margins  or  beach  and  in  its  islands. 
The  entrance  of  the  port,  which  appears  to  be  very 
easy  and  safe,  must  be  about  a  league  long  and 
somewhat  more  than  a  league  wide  on  the  outer  side, 
which  looks  toward  the  sea,  and  about  a  quarter 
of  a  league  wide  on  its  inner  side,  which  faces  the 
harbor.  The  inner  end  of  the  entrance  is  formed  by 
two  very  high  and  perpendicular  cliffs,  on  this  side 
a  white  cliff  and  on  the  other  side  a  red  one,  which 
are  due  north  and  south  of  each  other.  The  outer 
end  of  the  entrance  is  formed  on  the  other  side  by 
some  large  rocks,  and  on  this  side  by  a  high  sandy 
hill  which  ends  almost  in  a  round  point  and  has  at 
its  base  and  within  the  water  some  white  rocks  like 
small  farallones.  Commander  Eibera  reached  this 
point  and  erected  a  cross  on  it  when  he  went  to  re- 
connoiter  this  port. 

1  Arroyo  de  San  Joseph  de  Cupertino  was  Calabasas  Creek,  camp 
being  near  Azule  station,  north  of  Saratoga ;  Arroyo  de  San  Francisco 
was  San  Francisquito  Creek,  crossed  at  Palo  Alto.  Camp  was  just 
north  of  the  city  of  San  Mateo.  The  route  on  the  27th  lay  past  San 
Bruno,  the  Cemeteries,  Colma,  through  Golden  Gate  Park  to  Mountain 
Lake,  where  camp  was  made. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIAEY  255 

The  coast  of  the  entrance  on  the  other  side  runs 
from  east  to  west,  [inclining  to  the  south,]  as  I  ob- 
served on  the  1st  of  April  from  the  other  side  of  the 
estuary  or  port  when  I  passed  along  there,  and  ap- 
pears to  be  entirely  of  red  rocks.  The  coast  of  the 
entrance  on  this  side  runs  from  northeast  to  south- 
west, not  in  a  straight  line,  but  forming  a  bend  on 
whose  beach  empties  an  arroyo  which  runs  from  the 
lagoon  where  we  halted,  and  which  we  called  the 
Arroyo  del  Puerto/  To  this  arroyo  the  launch  can 
come  to  take  on  water,  for  on  the  coast  in  the  entire 
stretch  of  the  entrance  the  sea  is  quiet  and  the  waves 
do  not  break  on  the  beach,  as  they  do  on  the  coast 
of  the  sea  outside. 

With  respect  to  the  outer  point  of  the  entrance 
of  the  port  on  this  side,  the  Punta  de  Almejas  lies 
to  the  south,  and  by  airline  must  be  distant  some 
three  leagues,  the  beach,  which  is  very  sandy,  form- 
ing almost  a  semicircle.  With  respect  to  this  outer 
point  of  the  entrance,  Punta  de  Eeyes,  on  the  other 
side,  lies  northwest  by  west,  and  to  that  point  the 
shore  line  must  be  some  twelve  leagues  long,  not 
running  straight  but  forming  a  bend  or  small  inlet, 
as  it  appeared  to  me,  about  three  or  four  leagues 
away.  About  six  or  eight  leagues  out  in  the  sea  are 
seen  some  rather  large  farallones  which  have  this 
shape  nd^^ffi  ,  and  from  the  outer  point  of  the 
entrance  of  the  port  they  are  west  by  south.  Farther 
inland,  and  to  the  west  of  this  point,  are  seen  four 
other  farallones  which  look  like  this 

1  Arroyo  del  Puerto  was  Lobos  Creek. 


256     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

According  to  reports  which  I  obtained,  the 
Puerto  de  Bodega,  discovered  on  October  3,  1775,  by 
Don  Juan  de  la  Quadra  y  Bodega,  captain  of  the 
goleta  [Sonora],  and  situated  in  latitude  38°  18'  lies 
some  four  leagues  north  of  Punta  de  Reyes.  Its  en- 
trance is  formed  by  the  Punta  del  Cordon  on  this 
side  and  Punta  de  Arenas  on  the  other.  And  a  league 
to  the  northwest  of  the  entrance  lies  Punta  de  Mur- 
guia,  from  which  the  coast  continues. 

From  the  inner  point  of  the  entrance  extends  the 
remarkable  port  of  San  Francisco.  It  consists  of  a 
great  bay,  or  estuary  as  they  call  it.  It  must  be 
some  twenty-five  leagues  long,  and  as  seen  from  the 
entrance  it  runs  about  southeast  and  northwest,  in 
the  middle  of  it  being  the  entrance  or  mouth.  Most 
of  the  beach  of  the  harbor,  according  to  what  I  saw 
when  we  went  around  it,  is  not  clean,  but  is  muddy, 
miry,  and  full  of  sloughs,  and  for  this  reason  is  bad. 
The  width  of  the  port  is  not  the  same  at  all  points. 
At  the  extreme  southeast  it  must  be  about  a  league 
wide  and  in  the  middle  some  four  leagues,  while  at 
the  extreme  northwest  it  ends  in  a  great  bay  some- 
what more  than  eight  leagues  long,  as  it  seemed  to 
me,  whose  beach  appeared  to  me  clean  and  not  miry 
like  the  other.  It  is  almost  round  in  shape,  although 
it  is  seen  to  have  various  bends,  because  of  which  at 
so  long  a  distance  I  was  unable  clearly  to  distinguish 
its  shape. 

About  the  middle  of  the  bay,  on  this  side,  is  the 
outlet  or  mouth  of  what  up  to  now  has  been  regarded 
as  a  very  large  river  and  has  been  called  the  Rio 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIAEY  257 

de  San  Francisco.  But  from  here  forward  I  shall 
call  it  the  Boca  del  Puerto  Dulce,^  as  a  result  of 
the  experiments  which  were  made  when  we  went  to 
explore  it,  as  I  shall  set  forth  hereinafter. 

Within  the  harbor  I  counted  eight  islands,  and  I 
am  unable  to  say  whether  or  not  there  are  more.  The 
first  one  seen  on  entering  the  harbor  is  about  a 
league  from  the  mouth,  and  its  center  looked  at  from 
the  outer  point  of  the  entrance  on  this  side  lies  north- 
east by  north.  It  is  called  the  Isla  del  Angel  or  Isla 
de  los  Angeles,  and  the  bark  San  Carlos  anchored 
behind  it.  It  must  be  about  a  short  league  in  length, 
and  looked  at  from  the  entrance  it  presents  this 
appearance  wdfiftw*-  In  front  of  the  entrance 
there  is  a  very  small  one  like  a  f  arallon,  and  another 
not  so  small,  and  about  to  the  southeast  a  larger  one. 
Another  quite  long  one  is  seen  toward  the  extreme 
southeast,  very  close  to  the  land.  Another,  about 
three  leagues  long,  also  close  to  the  land,  is  seen 
toward  the  northwest  from  the  entrance,  and  near  it 
there  are  two  other  small  ones  which  appear  to 
begin  to  form  on  that  side  the  large  bay  in  which 
ends  all  that  immense  sea  of  water,  which,  being 
closed  in  and  surrounded  by  sierras,  are  as  quiet  as 
if  in  a  cup.  Finally,  in  the  bay  and  in  front  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Puerto  Dulce  there  is  a  medium-sized 
island  in  addition  to  those  mentioned. 

March  28. — The  commander  decided  to  erect  the 
holy  cross  on  the  extremity  of  the  white  cliff  at  the 
inner  point  of  the  entrance  of  the  port,  and  at  eight 

1  Boca  del  Puerto  Dulce  was  Carquinez  Strait. 


258     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

o^clock  in  the  morning  we  went  thither.  Ascending 
a  small  hill,  we  at  once  entered  upon  a  very  bare 
mesa  of  great  extent,  smooth,  and  inclining  a  little 
toward  the  port.  It  must  be  about  half  a  league  wide 
and  somewhat  longer,  and  it  keeps  getting  narrower 
until  it  ends  right  at  the  white  cliff.  This  mesa  af- 
fords a  most  delightful  view.  Indeed,  from  it  one 
can  see  a  large  part  of  the  harbor,  its  islands,  the 
mouth  of  the  port,  and  the  sea  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach,  even  beyond  the  farallones.  The  commander 
selected  this  mesa  as  the  site  of  the  new  settlement 
and  fort  which  was  to  be  established  at  this  port, 
for,  being  elevated,  it  is  so  commanding  that  from  it 
the  entrance  to  the  mouth  of  the  port  can  be  defended 
with  musket  shots.  And  at  the  distance  of  a  mus- 
ket shot  it  has  water  for  the  supply  of  the  people, 
namely,  the  spring  or  lake  where  we  halted.  With 
a  graphometer  I  again  examined  the  mouth  of  the 
port  and  its  configuration  and  I  was  able  to  sketch 
it,  the  map  of  it  being  the  one  which  I  insert  here.^ 
From  this  point  the  commander  decided  to  go  to 
examine  the  hills  which  extend  toward  the  interior 
of  the  harbor,  and  which,  looked  at  from  the  arroyo 
of  San  Matheo,  present  this  appearance^  ^CSCSESfcJw, 
to  see  if  in  their  vicinity  there  were  good  advantages 
for  the  convenience  of  the  new  settlement.  I  accom- 
panied the  commander  for  a  while,  but,  at  ten  o  'clock 
in  the  morning,  he  continuing  his  exploration  with 
the  lieutenant,  I  returned  to  the  camp  in  order  to  be 
able  to  observe  the  latitude  of  this  port,  and  I  found 

1  Printed  in  Volume  IV.  2  gan  Bruno  Mountain. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIAEY  259 

it  to  be  in  37°  49',  and  so  I  say:  at  the  mouth  of  the 
port  of  San  Francisco,  March  28,  1776,  meridian 
altitude  of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun,  55°  21'. 

About  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  com- 
mander and  the  lieutenant  returned  from  their  explo- 
ration very  well  pleased,  for  in  the  vicinity  of  these 
hills  they  had  found  more  than  they  had  expected. 
Their  extent  must  be  some  three  leagues.  On  them 
and  in  their  canyons  they  found  a  great  quantity  of 
timber  and  firewood,  plentiful  water  in  several 
springs  or  lakes,  abundant  land  for  raising  crops, 
and  finally,  a  vast  supply  of  pasturage  in  all  the 
country,  so  that  the  new  settlement  may  have  plenti- 
ful fuel,  water,  and  grass  or  pasturage  for  the 
horses,  all  near  by. 

The  only  thing  that  is  lacking  is  timber  for  large 
buildings,  although  for  cabins  and  barracks  and  for 
the  stockade  of  the  presidio  there  are  plenty  of  trees 
in  the  groves.  And  with  a  little  trouble  they  can  have 
all  the  timber  which  they  may  wish,  for  from  a  point 
some  six  leagues  on  the  other  side  of  the  arroyo  of 
San  Joseph  Cupertino,  as  far  as  some  three  leagues 
this  side  of  the  arroyo  of  San  Francisco,  there  runs 
a  plain  about  fifteen  leagues  long  which  they  call  the 
Llano  de  los  Kobles,  because  it  is  very  thickly  grown 
with  oaks  of  all  sizes,  and  from  which  very  good 
timber  may  be  obtained.  Moreover,  from  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Arroyo  de  las  Llagas  there  extends 
clear  to  the  Punta  de  Almejas  a  very  high  range, 
most  of  it  thickly  covered  with  cedars  and  other 
trees,  which  continue  even  as  far  as  the  Canada  de 


260     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

San  Andres,  of  which  I  shall  speak  tomorrow.  From 
these  places  may  be  obtained  all  the  timber  of  all 
sizes  that  may  be  desired  and  without  much  trouble, 
for  getting  it  out  is  not  very  difficult. 

The  Indians  whom  we  saw  on  the  road  from  Mon- 
terey appear  to  be  gentle,  good  natured,  and  very 
poor ;  and  judging  from  the  lack  of  arms  which  they 
evidenced,  they  gave  no  signs  of  being  warlike  or  ill 
intentioned.  Those  who  live  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  port  are  heavily  bearded,  but  in  color  they  are 
not  different  from  the  rest. 

96.  March  29. — At  a  quarter  past  seven  in  the 
morning  we  set  out  from  the  lake  or  spring  from 
which  flows  the  Arroyo  del  Puerto,  and  at  half  past 
six  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  the  Arroyo  de  San 
Matheo,  having  traveled  some  fifteen  leagues  on  ac- 
count of  the  detour  which  we  made  and  which  I  am 
going  to  explain,  for  by  direct  road  from  the  port  to 
the  arroyo  it  would  be  only  some  six  long  leagues. 

Because  of  the  exploration  which  he  made  yester- 
day the  commander  decided  to  leave  the  port,  skirt 
the  hills  which  surround  it  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  mouth,  and  follow  the  interior  beach  until  he 
should  come  out  to  the  level  country.  For  this  reason 
he  dispatched  the  pack  train  by  the  direct  road,  with 
orders  to  halt  at  the  arroyo  of  San  Matheo.  Taking 
a  different  route  we  traveled  about  a  league  to  the 
east,  one  to  the  east-southeast,  and  one  to  the  south- 
east, coming  to  a  beautiful  arroyo  which,  because  it 
was  Friday  of  Sorrows,  we  called  the  Arroyo  de  los 
Dolores.  From  an  elevation  here  I  observed  the  trend 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  261 

of  the  port  in  this  direction.  I  saw  that  its  extremity- 
lay  to  the  east-southeast ;  and  that  a  very  high  red- 
wood, which  is  visible  from  a  long  distance,  rising 
like  a  great  tower  on  the  bank  of  the  Arroyo  de  San 
Francisco,  in  the  Llano  de  los  Eobles,  and  whose 
height  I  afterward  measured,  lay  to  the  southeast. 

We  traveled  about  three  leagues  more,  south  and 
southwest  and  west-northwest,  going  round  the  hills, 
until  we  came  out  to  the  plain  and  encountered  our 
own  road,  along  which  we  traveled  a  short  distance 
to  the  southeast.^  Here  the  commander  decided  to 
go  to  explore  a  nearby  valley  called  San  Andres, 
which  is  in  the  range  of  the  spruce  trees,  also  called 
redwoods,  which  ends  at  the  Punta  de  Almejas,  for 
the  purpose  of  seeing  if  it  had  good  timber  for  the 
settlement  at  the  port.  Therefore,  leaving  the  road, 
we  traveled  about  a  short  league  to  the  southwest 
and  somewhat  to  the  south  and  entered  the  valley. 
In  it  as  we  traveled  along  we  saw  thick  groves  with 
many  and  various  trees  of  good  timber,  live  oaks, 
madrono,  spruce,  and  also  cottonwoods  and  other 
trees,  and  much  brush  on  the  banks  of  the  arroyo  or 
long  narrow  lake  which  runs  through  this  valley, 
and  forms  the  arroyo  of  San  Matheo,  which  runs  out 
upon  the  plain  by  a  narrow  passage  through  some 
hills. 

We  traveled  some  four  leagues  to  the  southeast 
and  southeast  by  south,  and  crossed  the  arroyo  of 

1  From  Mountain  Lake  they  skirted  the  inner  shore  of  the 
Peninsula  past  Dolores  Creek  to  Islais  Creek  (called  San  Bruno  by 
Pont),  which  they  ascended  to  the  vicinity  of  Colma,  where  they 
struck  their  own  trail. 


262     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

San  Matheo,  where  it  enters  the  narrow  pass  be- 
tween the  hills.  About  a  league  before  this  a  very- 
large  bear,  of  which  there  are  many  in  this  region, 
came  out  on  our  road,  and  we  succeeded  in  killing  it. 
Then  we  traveled  some  two  leagues  to  the  east-south- 
east. Now,  considering  the  exploration  of  this  valley 
sufficient,  we  decided  to  go  to  the  camp,  where  we 
arrived  after  crossing  some  high  hills  and  traveling 
some  two  leagues  almost  to  the  north.^ — Fifteen 
leagues. 

97.  March  30.— We  left  Arroyo  de  San  Matheo 
at  a  quarter  past  seven  in  the  morning  and  at  four 
in  the  afternoon  halted  on  the  other  side  of  a  river 
which  we  called  Eio  de  Guadalupe,  having  traveled 
some  twelve  leagues  in  different  directions.  This 
river  empties  into  the  extremity  of  the  port,  and 
about  a  league  above  its  mouth  it  is  very  deep,  for 
the  water  has  a  tide  and  no  current. 

On  setting  out  we  retraced  for  some  six  leagues 
the  road  by  which  we  had  come,  until  we  arrived  at 
the  arroyo  of  San  Francisco,  on  whose  banks  is  the 
redwood  which  I  mentioned  yesterday.  I  measured 
its  height  with  a  graphometer  which  they  loaned  me 
at  the  mission  of  San  Carlos  del  Carmelo,  and  found 
it  to  be,  according  to  the  calculation  which  I  made, 
some  fifty  varas  high,  a  little  more  or  less.  The 
trunk  at  the  foot  was  five  and  a  half  varas  in  cir- 
cumference, and  the  soldiers  said  that  there  were 

1  Anza  continued  southwest  over  the  hills  to  San  Andres  Valley 
(still  so-called),  followed  it  past  the  mouth  of  Almshouse  Canyon, 
then  crossed  the  hills  northwardly  to  camp  at  San  Mateo  Creek. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  263 

even  larger  ones  in  the  sierras.  With  the  plan  of 
going  to  explore  the  great  river  which  they  called 
San  Francisco,  and  was  said  to  empty  into  the  port 
on  the  north  side,  we  here  left  the  road  which  we 
followed  in  coming  and,  changing  our  direction,  we 
traveled  along  the  water,  and  apart  from  it  about  a 
league  and  in  some  places  more,  because  of  the 
marshes.  We  traveled  some  three  leagues  to  the 
east,  and  then,  beginning  to  round  this  extremity  of 
the  port,  we  went  about  three  leagues  to  the  north- 
east, finally  winding  around  every  way  between 
west  and  east,  in  order  to  ford  the  river  and  to  reach 
the  camping  place.^ — Twelve  leagues. 

98.  March  31. — At  eight  o^clock  in  the  morning 
we  set  out  from  the  Guadalupe  Eiver  and  at  four  in 
the  afternoon  halted  on  the  banks  of  the  arroyo  of 
San  Salvador,  also  called  Arroyo  de  la  Harina,  hav- 
ing traveled  some  ten  long  leagues  in  varying  direc- 
tions. First  we  went  a  short  league  to  the  north- 
northwest.  Then,  on  account  of  the  sloughs  and 
marshes,  we  went  for  about  three  leagues  east-north- 
east and  northeast  and  in  different  directions,  wind- 
ing about  until  we  came  out  of  the  sloughs  and 
lowland  where  we  had  been,  and  gained  higher 
ground  at  the  foot  of  the  hills,  which  run  as  far  as 
the  bay  and  the  mouth  of  the  Puerto  Dulce.  Then  we 
traveled,  far  away  from  the  water,  for  some  two 
leagues  to  the  north-northwest  and  two  more  to  the 

1  The  redwood  tree  measured  was  the  palo  alto  at  Palo  Alto. 
Prom  there  they  swung  round  the  end  of  the  bay  to  Guadalupe 
Eiver  near  Agnews. 


264     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

northwest/  The  Indians  whom  we  saw  along  here 
are  entirely  different  in  language  from  those  preced- 
ing. They  are  somewhat  bearded,  are  gentle  and 
very  poor,  but  in  color  they  are  like  the  rest. — Ten 
leagues. 

99.  April  1. — From  the  Arroyo  de  la  Harina  we 
set  out  at  seven  o^clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  half 
past  four  in  the  afternoon  we  halted  at  a  small  ar- 
royo  with  very  little  water,  near  the  bay  and  about 
a  league  before  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  Puerto 
Dulce,  having  traveled  some  fourteen  leagues,  nine 
to  the  west-northwest,  then  some  three  to  the  north- 
west and  northwest  by  west,  ascending  and  descend- 
ing hills  which  from  here  begin  to  form  the  bay,  and 
the  rest  to  the  northwest  and  north-northwest  and 
somewhat  to  the  north,  winding  around  all  this  dis- 
tance among  the  hills  mentioned. 

From  the  camp  the  roar  of  the  sea  was  faintly 
heard,  for  in  the  bay  the  waves  break  slightly  on  the 
beach,  although  not  to  any  great  extent.  From  a  high 
hill,  before  reaching  the  camp  site,  we  looked  out  at 
the  bay,  most  of  which  could  be  seen  from  there ;  and 
I  noted  that  it  is  surrounded  by  hills  and  mountains 
on  all  sides,  except  for  a  large  opening  which  lies 
about  west  by  north,  in  which  direction  for  a  good 
stretch  runs  a  tongue  of  low  land,  behind  or  beyond 
which  it  looked  white  like  water,  and  which  extended 
to  another  range  which  at  its  extremity  and  very 

1  In  this  text  only  eight  leagues  for  the  day  are  accounted  for, 
although  the  total  is  given  as  ten.  The  discrepancy  is  in  the  last  two 
items  of  distance,  each  of  which  should  be  three.  This  is  corrected 
in  the  A.  G.  P.  M.  copy  and  in  the  long  diary. 


FONT'S  SHOET  DIAEY  265 

far  away  became  blue.  I  surmised  that  perhaps  in 
that  direction  the  bay  might  communicate  with  the 
port  of  Bodega,  for  on  account  of  the  currents  which 
he  saw  in  it  when  he  was  there,  Captain  Don  Juan  de 
la  Cuadra  could  not  determine  whether  it  was  sea  or 
a  river ;  and  that  port  is  not  very  far  from  the  bay  in 
that  direction,  according  to  my  understanding,  but 
this  is  no  more  than  a  conjecture. — Fourteen  leagues. 

100.  April  2. — ^We  set  out  from  the  little  arroyo 
at  seven  o^clock  and  passed  through  a  village  to 
which  we  were  invited  by  some  ten  Indians  who  very 
early  in  the  morning  had  come  to  the  camp  singing. 
We  were  welcomed  by  the  Indians  of  the  village,  whom 
I  estimate  to  have  been  some  four  hundred  souls, 
with  singular  demonstrations  of  joy,  singing,  and 
dancing.  We  continued  about  a  long  league  to  the 
north  and  northeast,  and  at  nine  o  'clock  came  to  the 
shore  of  the  water,  near  and  inside  the  mouth  of  the 
Puerto  Dulce,  indicated  on  the  map  by  the  letter  I. 
Hitherto  this  has  been  regarded  as  a  large  river,  but 
such  it  is  not,  according  to  the  experiments  which 
we  made  and  for  the  reasons  which  I  shall  set  forth. 
Here  the  commander  decided  that  we  should  halt 
until  after  midday  in  order  to  observe  the  latitude 
of  this  place.^ 

As  soon  as  we  arrived  at  the  shore  of  the  water 
we  began  to  doubt  that  it  was  a  river  because  we  did 

1  From  the  Guadalupe  River  the  route  followed  the  foothills 
around  the  bay  all  the  way  to  Carquinez  Strait.  Arroyo  de  la  Harina 
was  San  Lorenzo  Creek.  Camp  on  the  1st  was  at  Rodeo  Creek.  The 
village  passed  through  on  the  2d  was  at  Tormey.  The  halt  on  Car- 
quinez Strait  where  the  observation  was  made  was  just  below  the 
Carquinez  Bridge. 


266     THE  SAN  PEANCISCO  COLONY 

not  see  any  current,  nor  did  the  water  have  any- 
more movement  than  that  which  we  observed  at  the 
mouth  of  the  port  of  San  Francisco,  where  we  noted 
a  very  gentle  and  inconspicuous  movement,  caused 
no  doubt  by  the  tide.  Aside  from  this  we  did  not  see 
on  the  banks  any  sign  of  a  flood,  or  any  driftwood  or 
trees,  which  it  was  natural  it  would  bring  in  its  floods 
if  it  were  a  river,  and  especially  so  large  a  river. 
One  might  say  that  it  carries  no  driftwood  because 
its  source  is  not  very  far  away,  and  because  it  runs 
through  open  country  from  which  it  can  not  bring 
trees  and  other  things ;  but  at  least  is  must  be  con- 
ceded that  it  would  have  floods,  and  if  it  had  them  it 
would  leave  signs  of  them  on  its  banks.  But  the 
banks  here  have  no  such  signs  whatever,  and  its 
beaches,  in  those  places  where  there  are  any,  are  like 
those  which  we  saw  at  the  port. 

This  Puerto  Dulce,  indeed,  is  a  fresh-water  gulf, 
enclosed  in  a  canyon  by  hills  of  medium  height  on 
one  side  and  the  other.  It  runs  almost  to  the  east 
for  a  distance  of  some  six  leagues,  and  then  widens 
out  greatly  in  some  immense  plains  of  which  I  shall 
speak  tomorrow  and  day  after  tomorrow.  In  some 
places  its  banks  are  very  high  cliffs,  and  in  others  it 
has  a  narrow  beach  on  which,  near  the  mouth,  there 
were  great  piles  of  fresh-water  mussels.  I  tasted 
the  water  and  found  it  salty,  although  not  so  salty 
as  that  of  the  sea  outside. 

We  saw  there  some  rafts  very  well  made  of 
tule,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  water  in  one  of  them 
some  Indians  were  fishing,  for  in  all  this  gulf  of 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIAEY  267 

the  Puerto  Dulce  the  Indians  enjoy  plenty  of  excel- 
lent fish,  among  them  being  extremely  fine  and  abun- 
dant salmon.  I  saw  that  they  were  fishing  with  nets 
and  that  they  anchored  the  raft  with  some  very 
long  slim  poles.  The  method  of  mooring  it  con- 
firmed the  suspicion  or  opinion  which  I  had  already 
formed  that  the  water  had  no  current  toward  the 
bay,  for  I  noticed  that  they  moored  the  raft  on  the 
upper  side  and  headed  in  the  direction  opposite  the 
mouth,  whereas  it  would  seem  that  if  the  water  ran 
downstream  it  would  have  been  just  the  other  way 
round.  Seeing  that  they  anchored  the  raft  with 
these  poles,  it  was  natural  that  they  should  reach 
the  bottom,  and  so  I  measured  one  of  them  and 
found  it  to  be  eleven  and  a  half  varas  long.  There- 
fore, subtracting  a  good  piece  which  remained  out 
of  the  water  and  above  the  raft  on  which  the  Indian 
fishermen  were  seated,  I  estimated  that  the  water 
would  be  some  nine  or  ten  varas  deep ;  at  the  same 
time  it  is  very  quiet  and  placid. 

From  a  small  elevation  near  the  water  and  dis- 
tant from  the  mouth  about  a  quarter  of  a  league 
upstream,  I  observed  the  width  of  the  mouth,  and 
from  my  observation  I  calculated  that  it  would  be  a 
little  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  league  wide.  In  the  bay 
and  in  front  of  the  mouth  there  is  an  island^  which 
must  be  somewhat  more  than  a  league  long  from  east 
to  west  and  about  a  quarter  of  a  league  wide.  It  is 
near  the  mouth,  though  not  in  the  middle,  but  toward 
the  north  side.  The  channel  of  the  water  runs  to  the 
east,  not  straight  but  with  bends  and  inlets,  its  width 

1  Mare  Island. 


268     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

for  some  three  leagues  upstream  being  substantially 
the  same  as  that  of  the  mouth,  after  which  it  begins 
to  widen  out.  At  this  same  place  I  observed  the 
latitude  and  found  it  to  be  in  38°  51/2',  and  so  I  say: 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Puerto  Dulce,  April  2,  1776, 
meridian  altitude  of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun,  57°. 

After  noon  we  set  out  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Puerto  Dulce,  and  at  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
halted  on  the  banks  of  the  arroyo  which  in  the  ex- 
pedition of  Captain  Don  Pedro  Fages  they  called 
Arroyo  de  Santa  Angela  de  Fulgino,^  having  traveled 
in  all  some  seven  long  leagues. — Seven  leagues. 

The  direction  of  the  six  leagues  covered  this 
afternoon  was  two  leagues  to  the  east  along  the  top 
of  the  hills  close  to  the  water,  then  one  to  the  east- 
southeast  up  a  canyon  through  which  we  again  came 
out  to  the  top  of  the  hills  near  the  water.  From  this 
height  we  saw  that  the  water  here  makes  a  bend  on 
this  side  and  widens  out  to  about  twice  the  width  of 
the  mouth,  and  that  on  the  other  shore,  straight 
across  from  this  place,  a  point  of  land  extends  out  a 
little  and  near  it  has  a  rock  or  farallon  within  the 
water.^  Looking  toward  the  northeast  we  saw  an 
immense  plain  without  any  trees,  through  which  the 
water  extends  for  a  long  distance,  having  in  it  va- 
rious islands  of  lowland.  And  finally,  at  the  other 
side  of  the  immense  plain  and  about  forty  leagues 
away,  we  saw  a  great  Sierra  Nevada  which  seemed 
to  me  to  run  from  south-southeast  to  north-north- 
west. 

1  Walnut  Creek  near  Pacheco.  2  At  the  Benicia  ferry. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  269 

We  descended  from  the  top  of  the  hills,  and 
having  gone  about  a  league  to  the  northeast,  we  trav- 
eled some  three  leagues  more  to  the  east-southeast 
and  halted  at  the  arroyo.  Many  Indians  came  to 
the  camp.  Although  they  were  apparently  gentle 
they  were  rather  impertinent  and  proved  themselves 
to  be  somewhat  thievish,  especially  in  the  matter  of 
clothing,  to  which  they  were  greatly  inclined  and 
attracted,  showing  themselves  to  be  desirous  of  ac- 
quiring and  possessing  it. 

The  arroyo  of  Santa  Angela  de  Fulgino  is  in  a 
plain  of  considerable  extent  and  well  grown  with 
oaks  and  other  trees.  It  would  not  be  a  bad  place 
for  a  settlement  if  the  arroyo  were  permanent;  but 
this  does  not  appear  to  be  the  case,  for  we  found  it 
without  any  current,  and  with  only  some  little  pools 
with  a  small  amount  of  water  and  that  not  very 
good.  This  place  is  distant  from  the  shore  of  the 
Puerto  Dulce  rather  more  than  a  league. 

101.  April  3. — ^We  set  out  from  the  arroyo  of 
Santa  Angela  de  Fulgino  at  a  quarter  past  seven  in 
the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  to  ^ve  in  the  after- 
noon halted  on  the  banks  of  the  Agua  Dulce  at  the 
site  of  an  abandoned  village,  having  traveled  some 
ten  long  leagues  in  the  directions  which  I  shall  now 
state. — Ten  leagues. 

We  crossed  the  plain  in  which  we  had  camped, 
traveling  through  it  for  some  three  leagues  to  the 
east-northeast.  Then  we  entered  a  canyon,^  and  hav- 

1  Leaving  camp  near  Pacheco  they  crossed  the  valley  past  the  site 
of  Concord,  and  ascended  Willow  Pass. 


270     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

ing  traveled  along  it  for  about  a  league  to  the  north- 
east we  came  to  the  top  of  the  hill  indicated  on  the 
map  by  the  letter  a,  end  and  terminus  of  the  expedi- 
tion and  discovery  made  by  Captain  Don  Pedro 
Fages  when  he  went  to  explore  the  port  of  San 
Francisco,  accompanied  by  the  reverend  and  apos- 
tolic father  preacher  Fray  Juan  Crespi.  From  here 
that  captain  saw  this  sea  of  water  which,  because 
of  its  quietude,  and  because  farther  back  one  al- 
ready encounters  fresh  and  good  water,  I  call  the 
Puerto  Dulce. 

From  this  hill,  which  must  be  distant  about  a 
league  from  the  water.  Captain  Fages  and  Father 
Crespi  saw  its  great  extent  and  that  it  divided  into 
branches,  forming  some  small  islands  of  lowland. 
And  since  on  the  road  farther  back  they  had  already 
tasted  the  water  and  found  it  fresh,  doubtless  they 
concluded  that  it  was  some  very  large  river,  and  that 
here  it  was  divided  into  three  branches  which  sep- 
arated farther  up,  forming  two  islands,  and  that  a 
little  below  this  place,  on  entering  the  canyon,  they 
again  united,  without  noting  whether  or  not  there 
was  a  current,  which  would  not  be  easy  for  them 
to  determine  from  this  hill  because  it  was  so  far 
from  the  water. 

I  saw  the  water  divided  not  into  three  branches 
but  into  many,  forming  several  little  islands.  Of 
these  I  counted  as  many  as  seven,  some  rather  large 
and  others  small,  all  low,  long,  and  narrow.  That  I 
saw  so  many  islands  while  Captain  Fages  and 
Father  Crespi  saw  only  two  is  no  doubt  due  to  the 


FONT'S  SHOET  DIAEY  271 

fact  that  they  saw  this  lake  at  high  tide  while  I  saw 
it  at  low  tide,  which  in  this  Puerto  Dulce  rises  and 
falls  considerably,  as  I  shall  say  tomorrow.  They 
saw  the  level  lands — the  plains  that  I  mentioned 
yesterday — through  which  extends  that  great  ex- 
panse of  water;  and  likewise  they  must  have  seen 
the  great  Sierra  Nevada  on  the  other  side  of  the 
plain.  Finally,  they  saw  that  farther  up  the  water 
turns  nearly  to  the  northeast  and  even  to  the  east,  as 
far  as  a  low  ridge  having  a  grove  of  trees  that  hides 
the  water  and  prevents  it  from  being  seen  farther  on. 

We  saw  the  same  ridge,  and  to  it  the  commander 
decided  to  go,  in  order  to  see  the  water  and  its  course 
closer  at  hand,  and  to  satisfy  ourselves  whether  or 
not  it  was  a  river.  For  although  we  were  almost  con- 
vinced that  it  was  not,  there  was  still  room  for  some 
doubt,  because  we  were  far  away  and  unable  to  dis- 
tinguish its  movements  in  case  there  were  any. 

So  we  descended  from  the  hill  and  made  our 
way  toward  that  ridge,  on  which  and  behind  which, 
about  to  the  southeast,  we  saw  an  extensive  grove 
which  continued  forward.^  As  soon  as  we  descended 
to  the  plain  we  saw,  near  the  water  and  about  a 
short  league  away,  a  very  large  herd  of  the  large 
deer  which  in  New  Mexico  I  think  they  call  huros. 
They  are  some  seven  spans  high,  and  have  antlers 
about  two  varas  long  with  several  branches.  But, 
although  efforts  were  made  to  capture  one,  it  was 
not  possible  because  of  their  great  speed,  especially 

1  From  Willow  Pass  they  continued  to  the  site  of  Antioeh,  where 
they  visited  the  village,  beyond  which  was  the  oak-covered  ridge. 


272     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

at  this  time,  wlien  they  lacked  their  large  antlers 
which  doubtless  they  shed  at  certain  seasons,  judg- 
ing from  the  many  which  we  saw  scattered  about. 
All  this  country  greatly  abounds  in  these  deer,  and 
by  reason  of  the  tracks  which  we  saw  this  morning, 
which  are  like  the  tracks  of  cattle,  it  looks  for  all  the 
world  as  if  there  were  a  very  large  cattle  ranch 
thereabout. 

We  continued  through  the  plain  toward  the  tree- 
covered  ridge,  indicated  on  the  map  by  the  letter  h, 
and  having  traveled  some  four  leagues  east  by  north 
we  came  to  a  good-sized  village,  whose  Indians,  who 
in  color  and  all  other  particulars  are  like  the  rest, 
received  us  amicably  and  even  fearfully.  The  vil- 
lage is  situated  in  a  plain  a  short  distance  before 
the  ridge  toward  which  we  were  going,  and  so  close 
to  the  water  that  from  it  to  the  huts  it  could  not  have 
been  a  dozen  steps.  Here  we  were  finally  convinced 
that  what  was  called  a  river  is  not  a  river,  but  a 
great  sea  of  fresh  water  without  current,  extending 
through  that  plain.  To  it  the  saddle  animals  went 
on  their  own  feet  to  drink,  and  we  tasted  it  and 
found  it  very  fresh  and  good. 

I  say  that  here  we  were  convinced  that  what  was 
called  a  river  is  not  a  river,  because  if  it  were  it  is 
natural  that  it  would  rise  at  times ;  and  if  it  did  so 
it  is  not  possible  that  this  village  would  be  main- 
tained so  close  to  the  water  in  such  level  country, 
for  however  little  the  river  might  rise  it  would 
spread  out  and  flood  the  whole  plain  through  which 
we  had  come,  and  consequently  destroy  the  village 


FONT'S  SHOET  DIAEY  273 

and  its  huts.  And  it  can  not  be  said  that  this  village 
was  recently  established  there,  and  that  the  Indians 
had  moved  to  another  place  when  the  river  rose,  for, 
aside  from  the  fact  that  the  signs  showed  that  it  is 
not  a  new  village  but  a  rather  old  one,  it  must  be 
conceded  at  least  that  it  is  somewhat  more  than  two 
years  old ;  for  when  Captain  Fages  came  and  viewed 
this  water  from  the  hill  where  he  halted,  he  dis- 
patched the  sergeant  with  some  soldiers  to  continue 
the  exploration,  and  they  arrived  at  this  same  vil- 
lage where  we  found  it.  Therefore  it  has  been  there 
at  least  two  years,  and  in  two  years  the  river  has 
had  more  than  sufficient  time  to  have  carried  it  away 
during  the  floods — if  it  were  a  river.^ 

We  went  forward  intending  to  climb  to  the  top 
of  the  tree-covered  ridge,  which  is  not  very  high,  in 
order  from  there  better  to  view  the  country  and  the 
course  of  the  water;  but  we  had  scarcely  left  the 
village  when  our  way  was  cut  off  by  a  marsh  and 
tule  patch  which  forced  us  to  change  our  direction. 
Therefore,  turning  to  the  east-southeast,  we  trav- 
eled along  the  rim  of  a  low  ridge,  and  then  entered 
a  rather  large  plain  with  many  oaks;  and  having 
traveled  about  a  long  league  we  arrived  at  a  bare 
and  not  very  high  hill  indicated  on  the  map  by  the 
letter  c. 

We  climbed  to  the  top  of  this  hill,^  which  com- 
mands all  the  plain,  in  order  to  view  the  land;  and 
from  it  we  saw  a  confusion  of  water,  tulares,  some 

1  In  the  A.  P.  C.  H.  text  the  last  two  paragraphs  and  part  of  the 
next  are  misplaced. 

2  From  Antioch  they  went  past  Oak  Grove  Cemetery  to  the  hill. 


274     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

trees  near  the  ridge,  and  a  level  plain  of  immeasur- 
able extent.  If  we  looked  to  the  east  we  saw  on  the 
other  side  of  the  plain  at  a  distance  of  some  thirty 
leagues  a  great  Sierra  Nevada,  white  from  the  sum- 
mit to  the  skirts,  and  running  about  from  south- 
southeast  to  north-northwest.  And  according  to  the 
course  which  I  was  able  to  sketch,  I  concluded  that 
perhaps  toward  the  south  that  sierra  might  have 
some  connection  with  the  Sierra  Nevada  which 
branches  off  from  the  Sierra  Madre  de  California 
above  the  Puerto  de  San  Carlos,  and  runs  about 
northwest  as  far  as  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel  and 
beyond.  But  we  were  unable  to  make  out  either  ex- 
tremity of  it. 

We  turned  to  the  west  and  saw  the  hills  which 
we  had  been  passing  on  the  road  and  between  which 
the  assembled  water  ran  or  entered,  and  noted  that 
on  the  other  side  of  the  water  there  opened  a  low 
range  of  hills,  whose  terminus,  seen  at  a  distance  of 
some  fifteen  leagues,  lay  to  the  northwest;  and  that 
from  there  forward  nothing  was  to  be  seen  except 
the  plain. 

We  looked  to  the  south  and  saw  a  high  sierra, 
bare  on  the  outside,  and  running  about  southeast  and 
northwest.  This  is  the  range  which  we  had  on  our 
right  during  the  whole  journey  on  going,  from  the 
neighborhood  of  the  mission  of  San  Luis  until  we 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Puerto  Dulce,  where  it 
ends,  and  on  whose  skirts  are  the  valley  of  Santa 
Delfina,  through  which  runs  the  Kio  de  Monterey, 
the  valley  of  San  Bernardino,  and  others,  including 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  275 

the  Llano  de  los  Eobles,  which  runs  toward  the  mouth 
of  the  port  of  San  Francisco.  A  soldier  said  and  was 
certain  that  he  recognized  a  peak  which  was  visible 
at  the  end  of  what  we  could  see  of  this  sierra  toward 
the  southeast.  He  said  that  it  was  not  very  far  from 
a  place  called  Buenavista,  which  the  soldiers  ex- 
plored when  they  went  to  the  tulares  which  lie  near 
the  mission  of  San  Luis  in  search  of  some  deserters, 
and  that  if  we  should  direct  our  way  toward  it  we 
would  come  out  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mission 
of  San  Luis  or  of  San  Antonio. 

We  again  looked  toward  the  north,  and  between 
the  low  range  to  the  northwest  and  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada we  saw  an  immense  plain  which  on  that  side 
seemed  to  run  in  the  same  direction  as  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  but  on  the  other  side  it  opened  about  to  the 
west,  with  such  a  sweep  that  it  took  in  almost  the 
entire  semicircle  of  the  horizon.  This  is  the  plain 
through  which  the  sea  of  fresh  water  extends,  not 
continuously,  but  in  places  leaving  large  areas  un- 
covered or  with  little  water,  forming  those  great 
green  tulares  that  begin  near  the  mission  of  San 
Luis.  According  to  their  direction  and  all  the  ac- 
counts, they  must  be  more  than  a  hundred  leagues 
long  to  this  place,  not  counting  the  distance  they  may 
extend  above  here,  for  we  were  not  able  to  see  their 
terminus,  and  in  width  they  must  be  some  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  leagues.  I  surmised  that  these  tulares 
must  run  to  the  vicinity  of  the  port  of  Bodega  and 
that  the  green  field  which  Captain  Don  Juan  de  la 
Quadra  saw  to  the  east  of  his  port  must  have  been 


276     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

tulares  like  these  which  we  saw  here;  or,  indeed, 
they  may  have  been  these  same  ones,  extending  as 
far  as  that  place. 

Having  seen  all  this,  the  commander  decided  to 
go  to  halt  on  the  shores  of  the  water,  intending  to  go 
forward  a  few  days  to  cross  the  plain  and  approach 
the  Sierra  Nevada,  in  order  from  there  to  perse- 
vere in  this  expedition  as  far  as  possible.  There- 
fore, descending  the  hill,  we  traveled  about  a  league 
through  the  plain  toward  the  northeast;  but  before 
reaching  the  water  we  encountered  a  tule  marsh  and 
a  mire  which  cut  oif  our  passage.  Therefore  we 
changed  our  direction,  and,  traveling  about  a  quar- 
ter of  a  league  to  the  west,  we  reached  the  shore  of 
the  water  at  the  site  of  an  abandoned  village.^ 

As  soon  as  we  halted  we  went  to  see  the  water 
and  to  taste  it,  and  we  found  it  very  clear,  fresh, 
sweet,  and  good,  and  to  it  the  animals  went  to  drink 
without  any  difficulty.  We  saw  that  it  had  a  slight 
movement  caused  by  the  wind,  and  that  it  beat  upon 
the  shore  or  beach  with  gentle  waves,  but  we  did  not 
see  any  current  whatever.  To  determine  whether  or 
not  it  had  any,  the  commander  took  a  fair-sized  log 
which  ended  in  a  knob  and  threw  it  into  the  water 
with  all  the  force  he  could  muster,  and  in  a  short 
time  we  saw  that  instead  of  its  floating  down- 
stream, the  water  with  its  little  waves  returned  it  to 
the  shore,  and  I  may  note  that,  judging  from  what 
we  afterward  saw,  the  tide  was  falling  at  this  time. 
On  the  beach  there  was  no  driftwood  left  by  floods 

1  San  Joaquin  River  near  Antioch  Bridge. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIAEY  277 

nor  any  debris  except  a  little  dry  tule.  About  an 
hour  passed  and  we  returned  to  see  the  water,  and 
we  noted  that  a  good  strip  of  beach  had  become  un- 
covered, and  that  the  water  had  fallen  about  two 
feet,  according  to  the  uncovered  trunks  of  some  trees 
on  the  shore  which  we  had  formerly  noticed  were 
submerged.  From  this  we  inferred  that  the  water 
had  its  ebb  and  flow  like  the  sea,  and  that  at  this 
time  the  'tide  was  falling.  Therefore  the  lieutenant 
was  charged  that,  with  a  servant,  in  the  course  of 
the  night  he  should  take  care  to  observe  when  the 
tide  was  lowest,  measure  all  the  sand  or  beach  which 
might  be  uncovered,  and  afterward  observe  how  far 
up  it  came  at  high  tide.  This  was  done  that  night 
and  next  morning,  as  I  shall  relate. 

As  a  conclusion  of  this  day 's  entry  I  wish  to  make 
here  some  reflections  regarding  the  information  sent 
to  Mexico  by  the  Eeverend  Father  Fray  Silvestre 
Velez  de  E sealant e,  acquired  in  the  journey  which 
he  made  last  year  from  New  Mexico  to  the  province 
of  Moqui.^  This  father  says  that  he  reached  Oraybe, 
the  last  pueblo  of  Moqui,  some  fifty  leagues  west  of 
the  pueblo  of  Zuni,  which  is  in  New  Mexico,  and  that 
there  a  Cosnina  Indian  informed  and  assured  him 
that  six  days  to  the  west  of  Oraybe,  over  bad  road, 
was  the  land  inhabited  by  the  Cosninas.  He  said  that 
nine  days  from  Oraybe  and  more  than  a  hundred 
leagues  distant,  there  is  a  very  high  sierra  which 

1  In  1775  Escalante  visited  the  Moqui  pueblos.  In  1776  he 
entered  the  Utah  Basin  in  an  attempt  to  find  a  route  from  Santa 
Fe  to  Monterey. 


278     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

runs  from  northeast  to  southwest,  inclining  to  the 
west.  Along  its  northern  skirts  the  Rio  Grande  de 
los  Misterios  runs  to  the  west  and  is  impassable  to 
the  Cosninas  and  their  neighbors,  and  in  conse- 
quence the  Cosninas  do  not  know  what  people  live 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  or  even  whether  there 
are  any  or  not,  for  indeed  they  never  cross  nor  have 
they  seen  any  indications  of  people.  He  says,  more- 
over, that  nine  days  west  of  the  Cosninas,  on  this 
side  of  the  sierra,  there  is  a  nation  which  speaks  the 
same  language  and  is  called  Tomascavas,  and  that 
fourteen  days  from  these  people  there  are  others 
called  Chirumas,  who  are  warlike,  thievish,  and  sav- 
age, for  they  eat  the  flesh  of  the  human  beings  whom 
they  kill  in  their  wars;  and  that  from  these  Chiru- 
mas the  Cosninas  have  learned  that  there  are  Span- 
iards in  that  direction,  although  distant,  etc.  He 
concludes  by  saying  that  this  which  the  Cosnina 
reported  was  the  same  as  what  the  Moquinos  had 
already  told  him. 

First,  we  must  suppose  that  Father  Fray  Silves- 
tre  got  his  information  from  the  Cosnina  by  means 
of  signs,  the  way  in  which  the  Indians  usually  ex- 
press themselves ;  or  by  means  of  some  interpreter, 
and  perhaps  a  poor  one,  as  they  usually  are,  unless 
the  father  knows  the  language  of  that  region.  If  he 
made  use  of  some  interpreter  or  resorted  to  signs  to 
understand  the  Cosnina,  he  might  easily  make  some 
error  in  the  report,  for  many  times  it  happens  that 
when  a  person  thinks  he  has  expressed  himself 
clearly  to  the  Indians  by  these  means,  he  discovers 


FONT'S  SHOET  DIARY  279 

afterward  that  they  did  not  understand  him,  or  even 
that  they  understood  just  the  opposite  of  what  he 
said. 

On  this  assumption,  and  leaving  aside  the  dis- 
tances and  the  directions  which  the  father  gives  with 
respect  to  the  tribes  which  he  names,  although  I 
find  not  a  little  difficulty  in  harmonizing  them  with 
respect  to  the  high  sierra  which  he  says  runs  from 
the  southwest  to  northeast,  what  I  find  more  puz- 
zling is  what  he  says  regarding  the  river  which  he 
calls  the  Rio  de  los  Misterios;  not  so  much  on  ac- 
count of  its  name,  which  to  me  is  quite  new,  as  be- 
cause of  the  great  size  which  he  ascribes  to  it,  as 
well  as  because  he  says  that  it  is  impassable  to  the 
Cosninas. 

The  father  says  that  this  Rio  de  los  Misterios 
runs  to  the  west.  Now,  it  is  natural  that  if  it  is  so 
large  it  must  empty  into  the  sea,  and  if  this  be  the 
case  it  is  natural  that  we  should  have  crossed  it ;  for 
we  reached  the  latitude  of  38°,  which  is  sufficient  for 
it  to  come  to  the  coast  of  the  sea  which  we  followed, 
for  it  appears  to  me  that  this  latitude,  and  even  a 
lower  one,  corresponds  to  the  course  of  the  river 
given  by  the  father,  considering  the  place  where  he 
heard  the  report.  But  in  all  this  journey  we  have 
not  crossed  any  river  except  the  Rio  Colorado,  which 
is  not  impassable,  even  when  it  is  very  high,  as  we 
experienced,  and  is  even  fordable  when  it  is  in  its 
usual  course.  Nor  can  it  be  said  that  the  Rio  de  los 
Misterios  is  the  same  Colorado  River,  and  that 
higher  up  its  name  changes ;  for  this  stream,  even  at 


280     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

the  junction  of  the  two  rivers  and  below  the  Puerto 
de  la  Concepcion,  is  not  so  large  as  to  be  impassable, 
for  the  Yumas  swim  across  it,  both  men  and  women. 
And  it  is  natural  that  higher  up  it  would  be  smaller, 
and  even  though  it  might  be  so  large  it  is  not  easy 
to  believe  that  the  Cosninas  and  their  neighbors  are 
inferior  to  the  Yumas,  and  afraid  to  cross  the  river, 
however  large  it  may  be,  especially  having  been 
born  on  its  banks.  Indeed,  we  see  that  Indians  who 
are  raised  on  the  banks  of  any  large  river,  like  the 
Yaquis  and  the  Yumas,  and  even  those  on  the  sea- 
coast,  are  all  great  swimmers.  Hence  I  infer  that 
perhaps  they  told  Father  Fray  Silvestre  that  on  the 
other  side  of  the  sierra  there  was  much  water,  and 
since  they  told  him  that  it  was  fresh  water,  without 
specifying  whether  it  ran  or  not,  the  father  con- 
cluded that  it  was  a  river,  since  its  waters  were  not 
salt  and  they  did  not  tell  him  that  there  was  a  sea 
there. 

In  view  of  all  this,  I  conclude  that  perhaps  the 
Rio  Grande  de  los  Misterios  which  the  father  tells 
about  and  of  which  they  told  him,  must  be  some  very 
large  lake  of  fresh  water  which  lies  in  the  direction 
of  the  tulares  which  we  saw,  or  that  it  may  be  these 
same  tulares  and  water  which  extend  through  the 
immense  plain  which  I  have  described,  and  may  run 
inland  as  far  as  the  other  side  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
by  some  opening  or  openings,  and  may  have  vast 
extent  from  east  to  west  just  as  it  has  from  north 
to  south,  [unless  it  may  be  some  matter  of  the  Sea 
of  the  West,  as  they  call  it].    This  being  the  case,  it 


FONT^S  SHORT  DIAEY  281 

is  very  easy  to  believe  that  it  may  be  impassable  to 
the  Cosninas,  for  indeed  it  is  very  difficult,  and  one 
might  almost  say  impossible,  to  pass  from  one  side 
to  the  other.  Consequently  the  Cosninas  would  not 
know  whether  there  are  people  on  the  other  side  or 
not,  although  there  might  be;  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  those  on  the  other  side  would  not  know  that 
there  are  Cosninas. 

From  the  foregoing,  I  conclude  by  saying  that  it 
appears  to  me  that  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  open 
a  direct  road  from  New  Mexico  to  Monterey,  as  has 
been  attempted;  for,  besides  the  report  given  by 
Father  Fray  Silvestre  of  the  river  or  lake  of  fresh 
water  which  lies  between,  at  least  there  are  the  tu- 
lares  lying  in  the  path  of  those  who  may  come  to 
open  the  road  before  they  arrive  at  the  seacoast. 
And  however  directly  the  road  may  be  sought,  at 
least  it  will  come  out  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mis- 
sion of  San  Luis  or  below  it,  according  to  my  opin- 
ion, salvo  meliori  judicio. 

102.  April  4. — Before  nightfall  the  lieutenant 
went  to  observe  the  water,  and  he  found  it  so  receded 
that,  according  to  the  measurement  which  he  made, 
we  estimated  that  some  sixteen  varas  of  beach,  which 
here  was  very  wide,  must  have  been  uncovered.  Be- 
fore dawn  the  servant  went  and  saw  that  the  water 
had  risen  so  high  that  it  raised  the  dry  tule  which 
it  had  cast  on  the  shore.  At  sunrise  the  commander 
and  I  went  and  saw  that  the  tide  was  already  begin- 
ning to  fall,  and  that  with  the  northwest  wind,  which 
blew  very  hard  today,  the  water  was  somewhat  dis- 


282     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

turbed  and  was  becoming  white  with  small  waves, 
as  in  the  sea,  and  that  the  waves  of  the  beach  were 
rather  large.  With  a  level  I  took  the  measure  of  the 
water  and  concluded  that  between  high  and  low  tide, 
judging  from  the  beach  that  was  uncovered,  it  had 
fallen  some  three  varas.  And  I  may  note  that  here 
the  water  was  confined  in  a  narrow  channel  of  about 
the  same  width  as  at  the  mouth,  with  little  or  no 
diiference. 

From  all  the  foregoing,  and  with  these  experi- 
ments, we  concluded  and  finally  convinced  ourselves 
that  this  mass  of  water  might  better  be  called  a  fresh- 
water sea  than  a  river,  for  it  has  no  floods  or  cur- 
rents like  a  river,  and  like  the  sea  its  water  is  clear 
and  verging  on  blue,  and  it  has  an  ebb  and  flow,  and 
little  waves  on  the  beach.  Finally,  if  in  spite  of 
this  someone  wishes  to  say  that  it  might  be  called  a 
river,  assuming  that  the  water  is  fresh,  merely  be- 
cause it  has  some  movement  with  the  ebb  and  flow, 
then  with  the  same  reason  we  might  call  the  sea  a 
river. 

Although  now,  from  all  that  has  been  said,  we 
were  certain  that  hereabout  there  was  no  great  river, 
as  has  been  asserted,  or  even  a  small  one  (for  in  all 
the  road  we  had  not  encountered  anything  larger 
than  arroyos),  nevertheless  the  commander  remained 
firm  in  the  decision  which  he  made  yesterday  to  fol- 
low the  course  of  the  water,  cross  the  plain,  and 
continue  this  exploration  for  several  days  toward 
the  Sierra  Nevada.  Therefore,  we  set  out  from  the 
site  of  the  abandoned  village  at  a  quarter  past  seven 


FONT'S  SHOET  DIAEY  283 

in  the  morning,  and  at  half  past  ^ve  in  the  after- 
noon halted  at  some  hills  at  the  beginning  of  the 
sierra  which  I  shall  speak  of  later,  having  traveled 
some  fifteen  long  leagues  in  a  direction  so  changed 
that  it  was  quite  contrary  to  our  first  intention,  as 
I  shall  proceed  to  say/ 

We  traveled  a  short  distance  to  the  east,  intending 
to  follow  the  water,  either  along  its  banks  or  in  sight 
of  it.  But  very  soon  our  way  was  cut  off  by  the  tu- 
lares  and  mires,  which  forced  us  to  change  our  direc- 
tion, and  separated  us  from  the  water  so  far  that  we 
did  not  see  it  again  except  at  a  distance  and  from 
the  top  of  the  sierra.  We  turned  to  the  east-south- 
east, traveling  in  this  way  some  three  leagues,^  hav- 
ing on  the  right  a  grove  of  oaks  which  runs  for 
about  six  leagues  along  the  foot  of  the  sierra  to  the 
south.  With  the  intention  of  seeing  if  the  tulares 
would  give  us  free  passage,  we  turned  to  the  north- 
east and  traveled  in  this  way  for  about  a  league 
more,  but  soon  the  tulares  prevented  us  from  con- 
tinuing in  that  direction.  So  we  began  to  wind 
about,  now  southeast,  now  east-southeast,  now  south, 
and  finally  south-southeast,  without  being  able  to 
advance  toward  the  Sierra  Nevada,  but  instead  get- 
ting farther  away. 

We  saw  some  of  the  many  and  well  beaten  trails 
made  by  the  large  deer  through  that  plain  when 
they  go  down  to  the  water,  and  we  followed  them, 

1  The  A.  P.  C.  H.  text  has  this  paragraph  out  of  place. 

2  Anza  swung  southeastwardly  past  Oakley,  Knightsen,  and  Beth- 
any.    The  A.  P.  0.  H.  text  reads  two  leagues,  by  mistake. 


284     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

but  very  soon  we  found  ourselves  bogged  down  in 
mires  and  forced  to  turn  back.  Once  we  came  to  a 
path  having  the  tracks  of  a  man,  which  seemed  to 
lead  toward  a  little  village  which  we  saw  within  the 
tules,  but,  although  we  made  an  effort  to  follow  it, 
we  soon  came  to  a  marsh  through  which  the  animals 
could  not  pass,  and  even  on  foot  one  would  cross  it 
with  difficulty.  And  so  we  traveled  more  than  three 
leagues  which  in  general  may  be  estimated  as  to  the 
southeast,  going  with  some  difficulty  in  the  midst  of 
the  tulares,  which  for  a  good  stretch  were  dry,  tread- 
ing soft,  mellow  ground  covered  with  dry  silt  and 
with  dust  so  biting  that  when  it  rose  from  the  ashes 
of  the  burned  tule  it  caused  our  eyes  to  smart  se- 
verely and  we  were  scarcely  able  to  see. 

"We  now  saw  that  the  sea  of  fresh  water  which 
extends  through  those  tulares  has  its  floods  and  that 
when  it  rises  it  extends  far  beyond  the  land  that  we 
were  crossing,  which  was  full  of  shells  of  snails  and 
turtles,  and  of  silt  which  the  water  leaves  when 
it  extends  through  here.  And  that  this  water  should 
rise  it  is  not  difficult  to  believe,  and  it  is  even  natural 
that  this  should  be  the  case,  for  being  in  sight  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  it  is  natural  that  several  rivers 
should  flow  from  it  and  that  they  should  be  lost  and 
disappear  in  these  plains,  and  that  thereby  this 
fresh-water  sea  should  increase  (for  since  it  is  fresh 
it  may  be  conceded  as  an  exception  to  the  rule,  and 
if  not  it  might  be  called  a  lake),  either  in  winter  with 
the  rains  and  the  floods  of  the  rivers,  or  in  summer 
with  the  melting  of  the  snows. 


FONT'S  SHOET  DIAEY  285 

We  now  saw  that  it  was  impossible  to  cross  the 
plain  or  to  get  near  the  Sierra  Nevada.  Neverthe- 
less, the  commander  wished  to  continue  a  little 
further  in  the  attempt,  to  see  if  farther  down  we 
might  find  higher  land  which  would  afford  us  a  pas- 
sage. And  so  we  traveled  some  three  leagues  more, 
going  a  little  to  the  south  but  most  of  the  way  to  the 
east  and  east-southeast. 

It  was  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when 
the  corporal  who  went  ahead  halted,  and  the  com- 
mander asked  him, 

**How  does  it  look  to  you?  Are  there  any  hopes 
that  we  shall  be  able  to  reach  the  sierra  T' 

'*Senor,  I  do  not  know,''  the  corporal  replied. 
*^What  I  can  say  is  that  once  upon  a  time  I  set  out 
for  the  point  of  that  sierra  (it  is  the  one  which  yes- 
terday when  looking  south  from  the  hill  we  saw  run- 
ning from  southeast  to  northwest),  and  I  spent  a  day 
and  a  half  in  getting  around  a  tule  marsh,  only  to 
see  that  it  extended  farther  ahead  and  on  the  other 
side  also.  I  did  not  see  anything  more  because  I 
turned  back  from  there." 

Thereupon  I  said,  **From  all  accounts  it  is  clear 
that  these  tulares  are  the  same  as  those  near  the  mis- 
sion of  San  Luis,  and  that  they  continue  all  the  way 
to  there;  that  in  order  to  get  around  them  it  is 
necessary  to  go  clear  down  to  the  neighborhood  of 
that  mission,  and  that  this  is  also  necessary  to  go  to 
the  Sierra  Nevada,  which,  therefore,  can  be  better 
explored  by  starting  from  the  mission  of  San  Luis." 


286     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Realizing  how  difficult  it  would  be  for  us  to 
approach  the  Sierra  Nevada,  as  he  had  wished,  the 
commander  now  decided  that  we  should  return  to 
Monterey.^  Therefore,  changing  our  direction,  we 
traveled  toward  the  sierra,  and  having  gone  about  a 
league  to  the  south  we  arrived  at  some  hills  which, 
because  they  were  mined  by  ground  squirrels,  we 
called  the  Lomas  de  las  Tuzas.  We  traveled  through 
them  for  about  two  leagues  to  the  southwest  and 
entered  other  hills,  which  are  the  beginning  of  the 
sierra  which  afterward  we  crossed,  as  I  shall  relate 
tomorrow.  Having  traveled  through  these  hills  some 
two  leagues  to  the  south-southwest^  we  halted  on  a 
small  elevation  near  a  caiiada  in  which  a  little  water 
was  found. — Fifteen  leagues. 

103.  April  5. — We  set  out  from  the  hills  at  the 
beginning  of  the  sierra  at  a  quarter  to  seven  in  the 
morning,  and  at  a  quarter  past  four  in  the  afternoon 
halted  in  the  valley  of  San  Vicente  a  little  before  it 
ends,  having  traveled  some  fourteen^  leagues  over 
bad  and  very  broken  road,  the  direction  being  gen- 
erally to  the  south,  although  varied,  as  I  shall  now 
show. 

We  traveled  some  three  leagues  to  the  southeast 
to  a  Canada  which  we  saw,  but  it  became  so  narrow 
that  we  were  prevented  from  following  it.  Therefore 
it  was  necessary  to  climb  to  the  top  of  the  sierra, 

1  When  this  decision  was  made  they  were  near  Bethany.  Enter- 
ing the  mountains  now,  they  apparently  passed  Midway,  ascended  the 
ridge  to  a  point  near  Patterson  Pgps,  skirted  the  east  end  of  Liver- 
more  Valley,  and  halted  on  Crane  Kidge  near  Corral  Hollow. 

2  Evidently  a  slip  for  south-southeast. 

3  This  should  be  thirteen,  as  the  A.  G.  P.  M.  text  shows. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  287 

and  so  we  traveled  about  a  league  to  the  north,  east 
and  south,  and  in  any  and  every  which  way,  until  we 
got  to  the  top.  Here  we  stopped  a  while  to  seek  a 
way  out,  and  from  this  height,  which  was  great,  and 
is  indicated  on  the  map  by  the  letter  d,  we  clearly 
saw  the  plains,  the  water,  and  the  tulares  through 
which  we  came  yesterday.  And  we  saw  that  they 
continued  down  below  about  toward  the  mission  of 
San  Luis,  through  a  very  large  and  level  valley 
enclosed  on  this  side  by  the  sierra  which  we  were  be- 
ginning to  cross  and  on  the  other  by  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  which  looked  to  be  very  far  distant,  and 
continued  still  further  down,  apparently  to  the  mis- 
sion of  San  Gabriel.  Therefore  I  was  confirmed  in 
the  opinion  which  I  had  already  formed  and  which 
I  noted  down  yesterday  and  the  day  before. 

"We  descended  from  the  top  of  the  sierra  and 
traveled  about  two  leagues  to  the  south,  with  many 
turns  to  the  southeast  because  of  the  roughness  of 
the  hills  and  the  slopes,  till  we  came  to  a  canyon. 
We  followed  along  it  for  about  two  leagues  to  the 
south-southeast,  when,  on  reaching  the  top  of  the 
pass  which  it  formed,  we  were  confronted  by  ex- 
tended and  very  rough  mountains  ahead  of  us,  all 
the  country  that  we  had  traversed  and  all  that  was 
seen  on  all  sides  being  thickly  grown  with  oaks, 
pines,  and  brush.  We  continued  about  a  league  to 
the  south  with  many  turns,  down  the  slope,  and  then 
the  country  began  to  open  out,  and  we  found  our- 
selves in  a  valley  of  some  width  and  very  long,  and 
having  traveled  through  it  some  four  leagues  to  the 


288     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

south  and  south-southwest,  a  little  before  the  valley 
ended  we  halted  at  an  arroyo  with  very  little  water.^ 

At  the  beginning  of  this  valley,  which  the  sol- 
diers called  Canada  de  San  Vicente,  and  is  indicated 
on  the  map  by  the  letter  e,  we  saw  some  sierras  or 
hills  which  attracted  the  attention  of  everybody  be- 
cause of  their  formation,  for,  while  the  rest  are 
thickly  grown  with  groves  and  trees,  these  have  no 
trees,  but  only  a  scrubby  and  open  growth,  so  that 
on  the  ridges  and  at  intervals  there  are  seen  strips 
and  stretches  of  very  white  gravel.  And  this  range, 
along  whose  foot  runs  an  arroyo,  not  to  mention 
several  little  ones  which  there  are  in  the  valley,  is 
red  in  color.  Therefore  they  all  said  that  it  had 
excellent  signs  of  minerals,  and  to  me  it  appeared  to 
be  very  much  like  the  sierras  at  the  mines  of  Guana- 
juato. Its  location  is  in  the  center  of  this  very 
rough  range  w^hich  we  crossed. — Fourteen  leagues. 

104.  April  6. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Valley  of  San 
Vicente  at  a  quarter  to  seven  in  the  morning,  and  at 
four  in  the  afternoon  halted  on  a  small  elevation 
near  the  Arroyo  del  Coyote,  which  we  had  followed 
all  the  way  from  its  source,  having  traveled  some 
ten  leagues  over  a  worse  and  more  broken  road  than 
yesterday,  the  principal  direction  being  to  the  south, 
although  with  some  variation.^ 

1  Crossing  Crane  Eidge  near  the  San  Joaquin  County  line,  they 
ascended  Arroyo  Mocho,  crossed  the  divide  at  S.  S.  Grade,  entered 
San  Antonio  Valley,  and  camped  at  its  southern  extremity,  at  the 
head  of  Arroyo  del  Coyote. 

2  On  the  6th  they  dropped  from  San  Antonio  Valley  to  Arroyo  del 
Coyote,  followed  it  past  Gilroy  Hot  Springs,  and  camped  in  Canada 
de  los  Osos. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  289 

As  soon  as  we  started  we  found  ourselves  in  the 
midst  of  a  broken  sierra  on  all  sides  and  with  a  nar- 
row and  very  deep  canyon  ahead  of  us.  We  de- 
scended through  it  and  soon  encountered  a  little 
water,  which  is  the  beginning  of  the  Arroyo  del  Coy- 
ote. We  followed  it  for  about  three  leagues  to  the 
south-southeast,  some  two  to  the  south-southwest, 
two  more  to  the  south-southeast,  winding  about  in 
order  to  ascend  some  hills  and  descend  again  to  the 
canyon,  and  finally  some  three  to  the  south  and 
south-southeast,  ascending  and  descending  through 
the  canyon  and  its  very  broken  hills. — Ten  leagues. 

105.  April  7. — At  a  quarter  past  seven  in  the 
morning  we  set  out  from  the  little  elevation,  and  at 
a  quarter  past  five  in  the  afternoon  we  halted  on  the 
banks  of  the  Monterey  Eiver,  having  traveled  some 
fifteen  leagues.^  The  first  two  were  to  the  south,  de- 
scending through  some  hills,  whereby  we  finally 
emerged  from  the  sierra.  Then  we  entered  the  val- 
ley of  San  Bernardino,  which  we  crossed  to  the 
south-southwest  and  south-southeast,  and,  having 
traveled  some  three  leagues  through  it,  on  entering 
some  low  hills  near  the  Pajaro  Eiver  we  came  to  our 
outgoing  trail,  along  which  we  continued  in  direc- 
tions opposite  to  those  followed  in  going  to  the  port 
of  San  Francisco. — Fifteen  leagues. 

106.  April  8. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Monterey 
River  at  a  quarter  past  seven  in  the  morning,  and  at 
four  in  the  afternoon  arrived  at  the  mission  of  San 

1  Crossing  Gilroy  Valley    (San  Bernardino,  called  by  Anza  San 
Pasqual),  they  retraced  their  outgoing  course  to  Monterey. 


290     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Carlos  del  Carmelo,  having  traveled  five  leagues  by 
directions  opposite  to  those  on  going,  four  to  the 
presidio  of  Monterey,  where  we  stopped  for  dinner, 
and  one  to  the  mission. — Five  leagues. 

April  9. — ^We  remained  at  the  mission  resting. 

April  10. — Today  there  was  a  great  school  of 
sardines  stranded  on  the  beach. 

April  11. — ^We  continued  to  stay  at  the  mission, 
nothing  happening. 

April  12. — ^We  decided  to  go  to  Monterey  tomor- 
row and  from  there  return  to  Sonora,  and  Com- 
mander Ansa  dispatched  a  messenger  to  Captain 
Ribera,  informing  him  of  his  decision  to  return. 

107.  April  13. — ^We  left  the  mission  of  San 
Carlos  del  Carmelo  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  at  ten  reached  the  presidio  of  Monterey,  having 
traveled  one  league.  Here  we  remained  in  order  to 
arrange  the  affairs  of  the  expedition,  the  lieutenant 
taking  charge  of  everything  in  the  absence  of  Cap- 
tain Ribera,  who  was  at  San  Diego.  I  again  begged 
that  I  might  at  least  be  permitted  to  know  the  num- 
ber of  people  who  had  come  on  the  expedition  and 
were  remaining  at  Monterey  for  the  new  settlement 
and  fort  of  the  port  of  San  Francisco,  for  although 
it  was  no  more  than  curiosity  on  my  part,  and  in- 
deed it  was  not  really  necessary  that  I  should  know, 
still  I  desired  to  know,  perhaps  because  I  had  come 
with  them  all.  And  so  I  was  permitted  to  see  the  list. 
It  was  not  complete  because  it  lacked  a  few,  includ- 
ing those  who  were  imprisoned  at  the  mission  of  San 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIAEY  291 

Gabriel  and  had  remained  there,  l)ut  I  learned  from 
it  that  there  were  remaining  in  Monterey  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-three  persons. — One  league. 

108.  April  14. — From  the  mission  of  San  Carlos 
del  Carmelo  the  reverend  father  president  and  other 
fathers  came  to  bid  us  goodbye  and  then  returned, 
but  the  father  minister  of  the  mission  of  San  An- 
tonio remained  at  Monterey  in  order  to  go  in  our 
company  to  that  mission.  We  set  out  from  the  pre- 
sidio of  Monterey  at  two  in  the  afternoon,  and  at 
six  halted  on  the  banks  of  the  Monterey  River  at 
the  place  called  Buenavista,  having  traveled  some 
six  leagues.  The  directions  on  the  return  are  the 
reverse  of  those  in  going,  for  we  came  by  the  same 
road.^ — Six  leagues. 

109.  April  15. — We  left  Buenavista  at  a  quarter 
past  six  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  to  six 
in  the  afternoon  we  halted  at  the  place  which  they 
call  La  Canada  de  San  Bernabe,  having  traveled 
some  eighteen  short  leagues.^  About  two  leagues 
after  leaving  camp  we  met  the  soldiers  whom  the 
commander  had  sent  as  messengers  to  Captain  Ri- 
bera  on  the  12th  of  the  month  and  who  were  now 
returning.  They  told  us  that  they  had  met  Captain 
Ribera  on  the  road  and  that  he  was  now  close  at 
hand.  We  concluded  that  he  was  coming  to  talk  with 
Captain  Ansa  before  his  departure,  and  to  discuss 

1  They  followed  essentially  the  highway  to  the  Salinas  Eiver 
and  then  ascended  it  for  a  short  distance.  Buenavista  was  near 
Spreckels. 

2  Canada  de  San  Beraabe  was  the  valley  south  of  King  City  on 
the  highway  from  King  City  to  Jolon. 


292     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

with  him  the  affairs  of  the  expedition,  and  so  we 
thought  that  it  would  perhaps  be  necessary  to  re- 
turn to  Monterey,  or  at  least  to  stop  where  we  were. 
But  we  very  soon  saw  that  his  coming  would  not 
cause  us  any  delay,  for  after  going  a  short  distance 
we  met  Captain  Eibera  himself.  The  two  captains 
having  saluted  each  other  according  to  the  custom 
on  the  road,  without  stopping  to  talk  of  a  single 
thing  Captain  Eibera  continued  his  way  to  Monterey 
and  we  proceeded  on  ours  to  Sonora. — Eighteen 
leagues. 

110.  April  16. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Canada  de 
San  Bernabe  at  a  quarter  to  seven  in  the  morning, 
and  at  a  quarter  past  ten  arrived  at  the  mission  of 
San  Antonio,  having  traveled  some  five  leagues. — 
Five  leagues. 

111.  April  17. — ^We  left  the  mission  of  San  An- 
tonio at  two  o  'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  at  a  quar- 
ter past  six  halted  in  the  same  Canada  de  los  Eobles 
on  the  banks  of  the  river,  after  having  crossed  it 
once  and  traveled  some  seven  leagues.^ — Seven 
leagues. 

112.  April  18. — ^We  set  out  from  the  banks  of  the 
river  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter 
past  five  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  a  little  watering 
place  about  three  leagues  after  crossing  the  Monte- 
rey Eiver,  having  traveled  some  sixteen  leagues.^ — 
Sixteen  leagues. 

1  Camp  was  on  San  Antonio  Eiver  near  Pleyto. 

2  Camp  was  north  of  Santa  Margarita,  near  the  junction  of  the 
Salinas  and  the  Santa  Margarita. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  293 

113.  April  19. — At  a  quarter  past  six  in  the 
morning  we  set  out  from  the  little  watering  place, 
and  at  half  past  ten  reached  the  mission  of  San  Luis 
Obispo,  having  traveled  some  seven  leagues. — Seven 
leagues. 

April  20. — ^We  remained  at  this  mission. 

April  21. — In  the  afternoon  some  soldiers  came 
and  told  us  that  Captain  Eibera  was  coming  from 
Monterey  and  that  he  had  stopped  at  the  little  pass 
distant  from  the  mission  somewhat  more  than  a 
league. 

April  22. — Soon  after  midday  Captain  Eibera 
arrived  at  the  mission,  but  he  stayed  here  only  a 
very  short  time,  and  within  an  hour  he  set  out  for 
San  Gabriel,  without  talking  with  Captain  Anza. 

114.  April  23. — From  the  mission  of  San  Luis 
Obispo  we  set  out  at  seven  o^clock  in  the  morning, 
and  at  half  past  six  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  La- 
guna  Graciosa,  having  traveled  some  seventeen 
leagues.^ — Seventeen  leagues. 

115.  April  24. — ^We  left  Laguna  Graciosa  at  half 
past  six  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  to  five  in 
the  afternoon  halted  at  a  small  arroyo  on  the  beach 
of  the  Channel  near  Rancheria  del  Coxo,  having 
traveled  some  sixteen  leagues. — Sixteen  leagues. 

116.  April  25. — ^We  left  the  camp  near  Rancheria 
del  Coxo  at  six  in  the  morning,  and  at  half  past  five 

1  Camp  on  the  23d  was  at  San  Antonio  Creek,  north  of  Santa 
Ynez  Eiver;  on  the  24th,  near  Canada  del  Co  jo;  on  the  25th  near 
Elwood,  west  of  Mescal  Island;  on  the  26th  at  Ventura;  on  the  27th 
near  Las  Virgenes  Creek,  west  of  Calabasas;  on  the  28th  on  Los 
Angeles  River  at  Los  Angeles,  Old  Town. 


294     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

in  the  afternoon  halted  a  short  distance  before  reach- 
ing the  Rancheria  de  Mescaltitan,  having  traveled 
some  eighteen  leagues. — Eighteen  leagues. 

117.  April  26. — From  camp  near  the  Rancherias 
de  Mescaltitan  we  set  out  at  a  quarter  past  six  in 
the  morning,  and  at  five  in  the  afternoon  we  halted 
at  the  Eio  de  la  Assumpta,  having  traveled  some 
seventeen  leagues.  Today  after  halting  we  were  able 
to  see  the  islands  of  the  Channel  which  hitherto, 
neither  going  nor  returning,  had  we  been  able  to  see 
clearly  but  only  very  confusedly  and  indistinctly  be- 
cause of  the  fogs  which  are  very  continuous  on  this 
sea. — Seventeen  leagues. 

118.  April  27. — ^We  set  out  from  Rio  de  la  As- 
sumpta at  a  quarter  past  six  in  the  morning,  and  at 
half  past  ^ve  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  Agua  Escon- 
dida,  having  traveled  some  eighteen  leagues.  Today 
at  the  beginning  of  the  journey  we  left  the  Channel. 
— Eighteen  leagues. 

119.  April  28. — ^We  left  Agua  Escondida  at  seven 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  five  in  the  afternoon 
halted  at  the  Porciuncula  River,  having  traveled 
some  fourteen  leagues. — Fourteen  leagues. 

120.  April  29. — ^We  set  out  from  Porciuncula 
River  at  a  quarter  past  six  in  the  morning,  and  at 
eight  arrived  at  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel,  having 
traveled  two  leagues.  Commander  Ribera  was  at 
the  mission,  but  he  did  not  come  out  to  greet  us  when 
we  arrived,  nor  did  he  talk  with  Commander  Anza 
during  all  the  days  while  we  remained  here. — Two 
leagues. 


FONT'S  SHOET  DIARY  295 

April  30. — We  remained  at  this  mission,  and  the 
two  commanders  communicated  in  writing  concern- 
ing their  affairs. 

May  1. — The  two  commanders  continued  their 
communication  in  writing. 

121.  May  2. — ^We  set  out  from  the  mission  of  San 
Gabriel  at  four  in  the  afternoon,  and  at  half  past 
five  arrived  at  the  arroyo  of  San  Gabriel,  having 
traveled  two  leagues.^ — Two  leagues. 

122.  May  3.— We  left  the  arroyo  of  San  Gabriel 
at  half  past  six  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  to 
six  in  the  afternoon  halted  in  a  plain  about  two 
leagues  before  reaching  the  Santa  Ana  Eiver,  hav- 
ing traveled  some  ten  leagues. — Ten  leagues. 

123.  May  4. — ^We  set  out  from  the  plain  at  seven 
in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  past  six  in  the 
afternoon  halted  at  a  little  pass  which  opens  into  the 
valley  of  San  Joseph,  having  traveled  some  nine 
leagues. — Nine  leagues. 

124.  May  5. — ^We  left  the  pass  at  six  in  the  morn- 
ing, and,  having  traveled  some  thirteen  leagues,  at 
seven  in  the  afternoon  we  halted  in  the  canyon  of 
San  Patricio  near  the  source  of  its  arroyo,  a  little 
before  reaching  the  place  where  we  halted  on  com- 
ing.— Thirteen  leagues. 

125.  May  6. — We  left  the  canyon  of  San  Patricio 
at  a  quarter  to  seven  in  the  morning,  and  at  four  in 

1  The  camps  between  San  Gabriel  and  Yuma  were  at  San  Gabriel 
Wash  (May  2) ;  west  of  Riverside  (May  3) ;  Bernasconi  Pass 
(May  4) ;  near  Tripp  Flat  (May  5)  ;  Reed's  Spring  in  Coyote  Canyon 
(May  6);  Harper's  Well  (May  7);  near  Imperial  (May  8);  above 
Pescadero  Dam   (May  9)  j   Fort  Yuma  (May  10). 


296     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

the  afternoon  we  halted  at  the  Pie  del  Sauce,  on  the 
Arroyo  de  Santa  Catharina,  having  traveled  thir- 
teen leagues. — Thirteen  leagues. 

126.  May  7. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Pie  del  Sauce 
at  five  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  past  seven 
in  the  afternoon  arrived  at  San  Sebastian,  having 
traveled  fourteen  leagues. — Fourteen  leagues. 

127.  May  8. — It  was  decided  to  cross  the  plains 
and  sand  dunes  ahead  of  us  by  the  most  direct  route 
possible,  to  come  out  at  Pozo  Salobre  del  Carrizal, 
without  going  down  to  the  Pozos  de  Santa  Eosa,  in 
order  to  save  some  distance.  We  therefore  left  San 
Sebastian  at  noon,  and  at  half  past  ten  at  night  we 
halted  in  the  middle  of  the  dry  plain,  without  pas- 
turage or  water,  having  traveled  fourteen  leagues, 
the  three  first  almost  to  the  east  and  the  remaining 
eleven  to  the  east-southeast  and  part  of  the  way 
almost  to  the  southeast. — Fourteen  leagues. 

128.  May  9. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Llano  Seco  at 
half  past  four  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  to 
one^  at  night  arrived  at  Laguna  de  Santa  Olalla, 
having  traveled  twenty  leagues,  one  to  the  east- 
southeast,  ten  southeast  with  some  stretches  to  the 
south-southeast,  and  some  turns  to  the  south  and 
to  the  east.  Now  striking  our  out-going  road,  we  went 
two  leagues  to  the  east-southeast,  making  thirteen 
leagues  to  Pozo  Salobre  del  Carrizal,  where  we  ar- 
rived at  one  in  the  afternoon.  But  because  we  found 
the  water  red  and  worse  than  on  going,  and  no  car- 

1  K  reads  ' '  A  quarter  to  eleven. ' '  Font  ^s  text  is  ambiguous,  but 
both  of  the  other  versions  read  **a  quarter  to  one.'* 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  297 

rizo,  it  was  decided  to  go  forward  to  the  lake  named. 
— Twenty  leagues. 

129.  May  10. — From  Laguna  de  Santa  Olalla  we 
set  out  at  a  quarter  to  four  in  the  afternoon,  and  at 
a  quarter  past  seven  we  halted  at  the  Eancherias  del 
Cojat,  having  traveled  some  five  leagues. — Five 
leagues. 

130.  May  11.— We  left  the  Eancherias  del  Cojat 
at  a  quarter  to  five  in  the  morning,  and  at  eleven  ar- 
rived at  the  Puerto  de  la  Concepcion,  on  the  Colo- 
rado Eiver,  having  traveled  eight  leagues. — Eight 
leagues. 

This  Puerto  de  la  Concepcion,  situated  a  little  be- 
low the  junction  of  the  Gila  and  the  Colorado  rivers, 
is  a  place  where  some  hills  of  moderate  height  form 
a  small  pass  through  which  the  Colorado,  after 
spreading  out  through  these  plains  (for  when  it  is 
in  flood  it  is  leagues  wide),  flows  in  a  very  narrow 
channel,  and  after  emerging  again  spreads  out. 
Therefore  this  place  affords  a  very  pleasant  view, 
and  is  the  best  location  which  I  have  seen  on  this 
river  for  a  settlement,  because  it  is  near  the  river 
and  yet  is  free  from  inundation,  no  matter  how  much 
it  may  overflow,  although  the  site  is  so  small  in  ex- 
tent that  the  tiny  and  somewhat  uneven  mesa  which 
it  forms  provides  room  for  only  the  church  and  a 
few  houses. 

Here  we  found  Father  Fray  Thomas  Eixarch, 
who  came  with  Captain  Palma  to  live  here  because 
it  is  better  than  the  site  a  league  upstream  where 
we  left  him  on  going,  and  likewise  because  he  could 


298     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

not  remain  there  during  the  rise  of  the  river.  We 
expected  to  find  Father  Fray  Francisco  Garces  at 
this  place  also,  but  he  was  not  there,  nor  had  Father 
Fray  Thomas,  his  companion,  had  any  word  of  him 
since  the  time  when  he  set  out  up  the  river  for  the 
Jalchedunes/ 

The  last  news  we  had  from  Father  Garces  was 
on  the  15th  of  April  through  a  letter  which  the 
father  himself  wrote  to  Commander  Anza  from  the 
mission  of  San  Gabriel,  where  he  spent  Holy  Week 
at  the  beginning  of  April.  He  went  there  for  the 
reason  that,  having  gone  above  the  Jalchedunes  and 
reached  the  Jamaja  tribe,  these  Indians  welcomed 
him  and  offered  to  accompany  him  to  another  tribe. 
But  because  a  hostile  tribe  intervened,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  make  a  long  detour  to  go  to  the  other  tribe 
mentioned,  and  such  was  the  detour  that  he  came 
out  at  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel,  accompanied  by 
two  heathen  Indians  of  the  Jamaja  tribe.  In  his  let- 
ter he  said  that  he  was  returning  to  the  Jamaja  tribe 
because  it  was  necessary,  and  that  if  there  he  should 
learn  that  he  might  find  something  worth  while  he 
would  go  forward,  but  otherwise  he  would  return  to 
the  Colorado  Eiver,  where  he  would  await  us  in 
order  that  we  might  all  return  together. 

We  arrived  at  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel,  and 
there  the  fathers  told  us  that  when  Father  Garces  left, 

1  In  Anza  *s  absence  Garces  had  ascended  the  Colorado  to  the 
Mohaves,  crossed  the  desert  and  mountains  past  San  Bernardino  to 
San  Gabriel,  traveled  north  into  San  Joaquin  Valley,  recrossed  the 
Mojave  Desert,  and  visited  the  Moquis  at  Oraibe,  whence  he  returned 
to  Yuma  and  San  Xavier  del  Bac  some  time  behind  Anza. 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  299 

in  speaking  of  his  journey,  lie  said  that  if  he  should 
find  Indians  who  would  accompany  him  (and  he  did 
not  anticipate  much  difficulty  in  his  project),  his 
plan  was  to  go  inland  to  explore  a  road  until  he 
should  come  out  at  New  Mexico.  We  arrived  at  the 
Puerto  de  la  Concepcion,  and  here  we  obtained  a 
somewhat  confused  report  that  Father  Garces  was 
among  the  Jalchedunes.  Therefore  the  commander 
immediately  sent  thither  an  Indian  interpreter  with 
a  letter  telling  him  of  our  arrival,  and  saying  that 
we  should  continue  our  journey  within  three  days, 
which  would  give  the  father  time  to  come  if  he  were 
there.  But  at  the  end  of  three  days  neither  Father 
Garces  nor  the  messenger  had  arrived,  nor  have  we 
been  able  to  learn  anything  more  about  him  in  the 
course  of  the  three  months  which  have  elapsed.  I 
therefore  infer  either  that  Father  Garces  has  found 
a  road  and  means  to  go  to  New  Mexico,  as  he  desired, 
or,  on  the  other  hand,  that  he  has  met  with  some  se- 
rious mishap  in  his  apostolic  wanderings,  since  he 
was  now  traveling  somewhat  ill,  if  indeed  he  has  not 
died  or  the  Indians  have  not  killed  him. 

May  12. — The  courier  whom  I  mentioned  yes- 
terday was  dispatched  to  Father  Garces,  and  ar- 
rangements were  begun  for  crossing  the  river,  which 
was  now  much  swollen  but  very  quiet  in  its  current. 
During  the  time  that  we  were  here  I  noted  that  the 
river  rose  three  or  four  inches  every  day,  but  very 
gradually,  as  though  its  rise  were  due  to  the  melting 
of  the  snows,  and  that  it  carried  many  logs,  and  its 
waters  were  very  turbid. 


300     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Captain  Palma  said  that  he  wished  to  come  with 
us  in  order  to  go  to  Mexico  to  pay  his  respects  to  the 
viceroy,  and  to  tell  him  that  he  and  his  Yumas  great- 
ly wished  and  would  be  very  happy  if  Spaniards  and 
fathers  would  come  to  live  with  them  in  their  lands. 
The  commander  reminded  him  of  the  long  journey 
and  of  the  delays  which  might  occur,  with  the  result 
that  he  would  not  be  able  to  return  to  his  own  coun- 
try for  a  long  time.  Palma  replied  by  asking  how 
many  years  it  would  be  before  he  could  get  back.  The 
commander  told  him  that  it  would  not  be  more  than 
a  year.  To  this  Palma  replied,  **Very  well,'^  and  as 
he  persevered  in  his  desire  the  commander  agreed 
to  take  him  to  Mexico  in  his  company,  but  stipulated 
that  he  must  not  go  alone,  but  must  take  someone 
who  would  voluntarily  go  with  him.  From  among 
many  who  offered  themselves  Palma  chose  two  com- 
panions, to  whom  was  added  a  young  Cajuenche,  and 
the  three,  together  with  Captain  Palma,  came  with 
us  as  far  as  the  presidio  of  San  Miguel,  where  I  left 
them  with  Captain  Ansa. 

May  13. — They  began  to  take  the  baggage  across 
the  river  on  a  large  raft  which  they  made.  In  the 
forenoon  one  raft  load  went  over  and  in  the  after- 
noon another,  including  some  men.  But  the  raft  was 
so  badly  damaged  that  it  had  to  be  put  together 
again.  I  made  diligent  efforts  to  measure  with  a 
rope  the  width  of  the  river  at  the  narrows  formed 
by  the  pass,  but  I  did  not  succeed,  though  finally  I 
estimated  that  the  river  at  this  place  must  be  about 


FONT'S  SHORT  DIARY  301 

a  hundred  varas  wide,  a  little  more  or  less.  I  ob- 
served the  latitude  of  this  place  and  I  found  it  to  be 
in  32°  47',  and  so  I  say:  at  the  Pass  of  La  Concep- 
cion  at  the  Colorado  Eiver,  May  13,  1776,  meridian 
altitude  of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun,  75°  38'/ 

May  14. — ^While  the  raft  was  being  fixed  resort 
was  made  to  the  expedient  of  having  the  Indian 
women  swim  over  with  various  things  in  their  bas- 
kets and  large  trays,  and  the  women  were  busy  all 
day  making  their  voyages  in  this  way.  The  raft  be- 
ing finished,  at  noon  a  raft  load,  including  some  men, 
was  taken  over.  They  again  took  the  raft  apart  and 
made  two  others,  which  were  finished  about  six 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  now  the  commander 
decided  that  we  should  cross  the  river.  The  rafts 
were  loaded  with  baggage  and  on  one  of  them  we 
embarked,  the  commander.  Father  Fray  Thomas,  I, 
and  others,  making  thirteen  altogether.  But  as  soon 
as  we  entered  the  river  the  raft  began  to  ship  water. 
Two  persons  jumped  ashore  in  a  great  hurry,  and 
the  eleven  of  us  who  remained  on  the  raft  found 
ourselves  in  peril.  Many  of  the  Indians  who  were 
on  shore  and  saw  what  was  happening  plunged 
quickly  into  the  water,  and  some  forty  of  them,  sur- 
rounding the  raft,  took  us  over  to  the  other  side  in 
twelve  minutes,  with  a  great  hullabaloo  and  con- 
fusion, but  with  no  other  mishap  than  that  we  got  a 
little  wet. 

1  The  order  of  the  items  in  this  paragraph  is  the  same  in  the 
A.  G.  P.  M.  text,  but  is  different  in  the  long  diary. 


302     THE  SAN  PEANCISCO  COLONY 

131.  May  15. — They  finished  taking  over  on  a 
raft  the  rest  of  the  baggage  and  the  few  people  who 
had  remained,  and  thus  with  six  raft  loads  and  the 
voyages  made  by  the  Indian  women  everything  was 
brought  over  and  we  were  across  the  river.  With 
great  tenderness  we  said  goodbye  to  the  Yumas,  on 
account  of  their  fidelity  and  affection  for  us,  which 
they  manifested  by  asking  when  we  would  return. 
We  continued  on  our  way,  accompanied  by  Father 
Fray  Thomas,  without  awaiting  Father  Garces  any 
longer,  and  being  joined  by  Captain  Palma  and  his 
companions. 

We  set  out,  then,  from  the  banks  of  the  Colorado 
Eiver  at  a  quarter  to  five  in  the  afternoon,  and  at 
nine  o  'clock  at  night  halted  in  the  pass  on  the  banks 
of  the  Gila,  having  traveled  seven  leagues,  the  first 
two  [to  the  southeast  and  east-southeast,  and  the 
rest^]  in  the  directions  opposite  those  followed  on 
going,  having  struck  our  own  trail.  The  tempera- 
ture which  I  experienced  on  the  Colorado  and  Gila 
rivers  was  very  cold  in  winter  and  very  hot  in  sum- 
mer.— Seven  leagues. 

132.  May  16. — ^We  set  out  from  the  pass  and  the 
banks  of  the  Gila  at  half  past  five  in  the  morning, 
and  at  half  past  six  in  the  afternoon  halted  at  La- 
guna  Salobre,  having  traveled  six  leagues.^  It  was 
decided  to  leave  here  the  road  followed  on  going  and, 
crossing  the  Papagueria,  to  come  out  at  the  mission 
of  Caborca,  this  being  a  more  direct  road  to  San 
Miguel  de  Orcasitas. — Six  leagues. 

1  Omitted  from  K. 


FONT^S  SHORT  DIARY  303 

133.  May  17. — ^We  set  out  from  Laguna  Salobre 
at  four  in  the  afternoon,  and  at  a  quarter  to  twelve 
at  night  we  halted  at  a  patch  of  coarse  grass^  which 
they  call  galleta,  a  league  after  crossing  the  sand- 
filled  arroyo  called  the  Pozos  de  en  Medio,  having 
traveled  eleven  leagues,  three  to  the  south,  six  to  the 
south-southeast,  and  two  to  the  southeast. — Eleven 
leagues. 

134.  May  18. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Zacatal  Duro 
at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  to 
two  at  night  halted  near  the  Llano  del  TuzaP  before 
reaching  the  Puerto  Blanco,  having  traveled  eigh- 
teen leagues  by  a  route  much  varied,  three  leagues 
east  by  north,  two  northeast,  and  one  east-southeast, 
when  we  came  to  the  Tinajas  de  la  Candelaria,  where 
we  stopped  until  afternoon ;  then  three  to  the  north- 
east^ over  malpais,  six  to  the  southeast,  and  three  to 
the  east-southeast. — Eighteen  leagues. 

135.  May  19. — ^We  set  out  from  the  Llano  del 
Tuzal  at  five  in  the  morning,  and  at  half  past  eleven 
arrived  at  the  Arroyo  del  Carrizal,  having  traveled 
ten  leagues,  three  to  the  east-southeast,  and  the  rest 
southeast  by  south. — Ten  leagues. 

136.  May  20.— We  left  the  Arroyo  del  Carrizal 
at  a  quarter  to  six  in  the  morning,  and  at  half  past 
eight  at  night  halted  at  the  foot  of  some  hills,  having 
traveled  thirteen  leagues.  We  went  six  to  the  east 
and  three  to  the  east-southeast,  when  we  arrived  at 
the  ruined  mission  called  San  Marcelo  de  Sonoytac, 

1  Zacatal  Duro.  2  Plain  of  the  ground  squirrels. 

3  Anza  says  southeast  and  is  apparently  correct. 


304     THE  SAX  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

where  we  stopped  until  the  afternoon;  then  two  to 
the  south-southeast  and  two  to  the  southeast. — Thir- 
teen leagues. 

137.  May  21.— From  camp  at  the  foot  of  the  hills 
we  set  forth  at  half  past  four  in  the  morning,  and  at 
eleven  o  'clock  at  night  we  halted  at  a  zacatal/  having 
traveled  seventeen  leagues,  two  south-southeast,  two 
south-southwest,  two  southwest,  and  two  west-south- 
west when  we  arrived  at  Quitobac,  formerly  a  pueblo 
de  visita  of  the  mission  of  Sonoytac  and  called  San 
Luis.  Here  we  remained  until  the  afternoon,  and  then 
we  traveled  about  a  league  east-southeast,  two  south- 
east, one  south-southeast,  one  south,  three  southeast, 
and  one  east-southeast. — Seventeen  leagues. 

138.  May  22.— We  left  El  Zacatal  at  a  quarter  to 
six  in  the  morning,  and  at  half  past  ten  at  night 
arrived  near  the  place  called  San  Yldef  onso,  having 
traveled  fifteen  leagues,  two  east-southeast,  five 
southeast,  and  one  south,  when  we  arrived  at  San 
Eduardo  del  Aribaycpia,  which  is  an  arroyo  filled 
with  sand.  Here  we  remained  until  the  afternoon, 
and  then  we  traveled  three  leagues  south-southeast, 
two  southeast,  and  two  south-southwest. — Fifteen 
leagues. 

139.  May  23.— We  set  forth  from  San  Yldefonso 
at  half  past  five  in  the  morning,  and  at  twelve  arrived 
at  the  mission  of  Caborca,  having  traveled  nine 
leagues,  three  to  the  south,  three  to  the  southeast, 
and  three  to  the  east-southeast.  All  the  way  through 
the  Papagueria  the  road  is  very  crooked  and  winding 

1  Patch  of  coarse  grass. 


Last  page  of  Font's  Short  Diary. 


FONT'S  SHOET  DIAEY  305 

because  of  the  great  scarcity  of  pasturage  and  still 
greater  scarcity  of  watering  places,  which  makes  it 
necessary  to  go  to  find  them,  and  explains  why  this 
road  is  so  difficult  to  travel.  Some  saddle  animals 
were  requested  from  the  presidio  of  Altar  for  the 
relief  of  those  which  had  come  worn-out  by  the  dif- 
ficult road  through  the  Papagueria.^ — Nine  leagues. 
May  24. — ^We  remained  at  the  mission.  I  observed 
its  latitude  and  found  it  to  be  in  30°  44',  and  so  I 
say:  at  the  mission  of  Caborca,  May  24,  1776,  me- 
ridian altitude  of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun,  80°. 

140.  May  25.— Father  Fray  Thomas  Eixarch  set 
out  for  his  mission  of  Tumacacori.  We  left  the  mis- 
sion of  Caborca  at  a  quarter  past  four  in  the  after- 
noon, and  at  half  past  eleven  at  night  halted  in  the 
flat  at  the  place  called  El  Bamuri,  having  traveled 
ten  leagues  to  the  south-southeast. — Ten  leagues. 

141.  May  26.— We  set  out  from  El  Bamuri  at  a 
quarter  past  five  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter 
past  eight  arrived  at  the  Eeal  de  la  Cieneguilla,  hav- 
ing traveled  five  leagues  to  the  south-southeast. — 
Five  leagues. 

May  27. — This  day  we  did  not  travel.  I  observed 
the  latitude  of  that  mining  camp  and  found  it  to  be 
in  30°  I41/2',  and  so  I  say:  at  the  Eeal  de  la  Ciene- 
guilla, May  27,  1776,  meridian  altitude  of  the  lower 
limb  of  the  sun,  81°. 

lAnza's  camps  between  Yuma  and  Caborca  were:  near  the  pass 
of  the  Gila  River  through  Gila  Range  (May  15) ;  at  the  bend  near 
Reynolds  Well  (May  16) ;  Coyote  Water  (May  17) ;  near  the  **  White 
Pass"  (May  18);  Agua  Salada  (May  19);  near  Sierra  de  Cubabi, 
beyond  Sonoita  (May  20)  j  nine  leagues  beyond  Quitobac  (May  21) ; 
San  Yldefonso  (May  22),  and  Caborca  (May  23). 


306     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

May  28. — Although  it  had  been  decided  to  con- 
tinue our  journey  today,  we  waited  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  opportunity  to  go  with  and  escort  some 
other  people  who  were  setting  out  next  morning,  be- 
cause the  road  which  we  had  still  to  travel  is  very 
dangerous  on  account  of  the  hostile  Apaches,  who 
recently  have  committed  along  it  several  attacks  and 
murders,  and  even  worse  than  the  Apaches  are  the 
Seris  and  the  Pimas,  or  revolted  Piatos. 

142.  May  29.— We  set  out  from  the  Real  de  la 
Cieneguilla  at  a  quarter  past  five  in  the  afternoon, 
and  at  ten  o'clock  at  night  halted  at  the  place  called 
Los  Cerritos,  having  traveled  seven  leagues,  two 
southeast,  and  five  east-southeast. — Seven  leagues. 

143.  May  30. — ^We  left  Los  Cerritos  at  a  quarter 
to  five  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  past  nine  at 
night  halted  in  a  plain  a  league  beyond  the  forks  of 
the  roads,  having  traveled  fourteen  leagues,  seven 
to  the  southeast,  when  we  came  to  the  watering  place 
of  El  Tecolote,  where  we  remained  until  the  after- 
noon, and  then  seven  leagues  to  the  southeast  by 
east. — Fourteen  leagues. 

144.  May  31. — ^We  set  out  from  El  Llano'  at  a 
quarter  to  five  in  the  morning,  and  at  a  quarter  past 
ten  at  night  we  halted  in  a  plain  beyond  El  Zanjon, 
having  traveled  fifteen  leagues,  five  southeast  and 
south-southeast  to  El  Pozo  de  Chrysanto,  where  we 
remained  until  the  afternoon,  and  then  ten  to  the  east 
southeast,  with  some  variation. — Fifteen  leagues. 

1  Evidently  a  slip  for  El  Tecolote. 


FONT'S  SHOET  DIARY  307 

145.  June  1. — ^We  set  out  from  El  Llano  at  five 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  eight  arrived  at  the 
presidio  of  San  Miguel  de  Orcasitas,  having  traveled 
four  leagues  to  the  east-southeast  and  even  almost 
due  east. — Four  leagues. 

June  2. — I  remained  at  the  presidio.  At  noon  I 
observed  the  latitude  of  the  presidio,  and  found  it 
to  be  in  29°  30',  and  so  I  say :  at  the  presidio  of  San 
Miguel  de  Orcasitas,  June  2,  1776,  meridian  altitude 
of  the  lower  limb  of  the  sun,  82°  34'. 

At  this  presidio  of  San  Miguel  de  Orcasitas,  from 
which  the  expedition  set  out,  our  journey  going  and 
coming  ended,  and  on  the  5th  of  June  I  went  to  the 
mission  of  Ures,  where  I  wrote  out  this  diary  and 
drew  the  map  which  accompanies  it,  finishing  it  on 
the  23d  of  June,  1776.^ 

Feay  Pedro  Font  (Rubric). 

1  A  note  on  the  map  accompanying  Font  *s  Complete  Diary  states 
that  it  was  made  at  Ures  in  1776.  It  is  evidently  the  map  referred 
to  here,  or  a  copy  of  it. 


EIXARCH'S  DIARY 

OF  HIS  WINTER  ON  THE  COLORADO 

1775-1776 


DIAEY  WRITTEN  ON  THE  COLORADO  RIVER 
BY  FATHER  FRAY  THOMAS  EIXARCff 

December  4. — The  expedition  left  this  place  with 
the  commander  and  Father  Font,  and  I  remained 
alone,  because  Father  Garces  went  next  day  to  com- 
ply with  the  order  of  the  viceroy,  that  is  to  say,  to 
visit  and  talk  with  the  tribes  of  this  Colorado  River.^ 
Today  I  began  to  arrange  things  in  the  house,  for 
since  it  was  new  it  lacked  nearly  everything.  In  the 
afternoon  the  Indians  brought  me  many  provisions, 
and  I  was  very  much  pleased  to  see  them  so  affec- 
tionate. Captains  Palma  and  Pablo  told  me  that  I 
should  not  be  hungry  because  they  would  take  ex- 
cellent care  of  me,  and  that  I  must  not  be  afraid, 
for  although  enemies  might  come  they  would  do  me 
no  harm,  because  they  would  defend  me.  These  two 
captains  do  not  leave  me  alone  at  all  during  the 
entire  day,  and  they  are  so  prompt  with  everything 
that  I  request  of  them  that  it  is  a  matter  to  marvel 
at.  And  so  when  I  get  up  in  the  morning  they  are 
already  at  the  fire  awaiting  me,  and  at  night  they  do 
not  leave  me  until  I  retire.   Tonight  I  began  to  talk 

1  Diario  del  P.  Fr.  Thomas  Eixarch,  que  se  hizo  en  el  Bio  Colo- 
rado. This  diary  was  copied  by  Father  Font  in  his  Complete  Diary, 
folios  271-311,  and  is  here  printed  from  that  text. 

2  Father  Eixarch  had  come  with  the  Anza  expedition  as  far  as 
the  Colorado  Eiver,  where  he  remained  to  prepare  the  minds  of 
the  Yumas  for  missions.     He  had  been  missionary  at  Tumacacori. 


312     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

about  God  to  Palma  and  others  who  assembled,  very- 
glad  to  listen.  This  Palma  does  not  go  to  bed  until 
after  the  Rosary  is  said,  and  although  he  does  not 
pray,  because  he  does  not  know  how,  as  yet,  he  does 
all  that  he  sees  us  do,  such  as  crossing  himself  and 
other  ceremonies,  etc. 

December  5. — The  Indian  women  brought  a  great 
quantity  of  beans,  maize,  calabashes  and  some  wheat, 
and  to  show  my  pleasure  and  happiness  I  gave  them 
glass  beads  and  tobacco.  Today  Father  Garces  went 
with  two  interpreters  and  a  muleteer  (this  is  Sebas- 
tian) to  visit  and  talk  with  the  tribes  down  the  river, 
carrying  glass  beads  and  tobacco  to  give  them  as 
presents.  This  morning  I  began  to  cut  willow  poles 
to  make  an  altar,  for  up  to  the  present  I  lack  one, 
and  for  this  reason  I  have  not  said  Mass  during 
these  days. 

December  6. — I  made  the  table  for  the  altar.  At 
night  I  explained  to  the  Indians  the  mystery  of  the 
unity  of  God  the  giver  of  all  blessings,  the  principal 
dogma  of  our  Catholic  faith.  Nearly  all  this  day  was 
spent  in  cleaning  and  sweeping  the  space  around  the 
house.  In  the  afternoon  came  the  Jalchedunes,^  a 
tribe  hostile  to  these  Yumas.  Indeed,  seven  of  them 
came  to  make  peace,  for  Palma  had  sent  them  a  mes- 
sage asking  them  if  they  wished  to  be  friends,  since 
the  Spaniards  did  not  like  war  but  wished  them  to  be 
allies  and  to  maintain  peace.  With  this  embassy  and 
with  the  doctrine  which  we  have  taught  Palma  we 

1  The  Jalchedunes  were  a  Yuman  tribe  who  lived  above  the 
Yumas  on  the  banks  of  the  Colorado  in  the  region  of  Ehrenberg. 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  313 

are  already  harvesting  some  fruit,  for  now  some 
tribes  who  formerly  were  enemies  are  communica- 
ting with  each  other.  I  regaled  the  Jalchedunes 
with  glass  beads  and  tobacco,  and  on  receiving  them 
they  said  to  me,  **Queye,*^  which  means  *^ Friend.'* 
In  return  I  said  to  them,  **Queye.'' 

December  7. — I  did  not  say  Mass  because  I  still 
had  some  things  to  arrange,  but  I  trust  in  God  that 
tomorrow  everything  will  be  ready  to  celebrate.  This 
morning  the  Indian  women  brought  me  so  many  pro- 
visions that  they  filled  up  the  house.  In  return  I 
gave  them  many  beads,  telling  them  that  I  did  not 
need  any  more  things  now,  and  that  they  must  come 
but  need  not  bring  me  anything.  In  the  afternoon 
two  Indians  came  on  horseback  and  told  us  that  the 
Axueche  (this,  I  think,  is  what  they  call  the  Apaches) 
had  taken  the  trail  against  the  expedition,  although 
I  do  not  know  in  what  place,  and  they  say  that  they 
shot  arrows  at  the  cows.  (This  was  a  lie.)^  On 
hearing  this  Palma  was  very  angry,  and  he  began 
to  preach  at  such  great  length  and  so  wrathfully 
that  he  made  very  clear  the  love  which  he  feels 
for  the  Spaniards,  and  how  sorry  he  is  that  they 
should  do  them  damage.  At  sunset  a  Cocomaricopa^ 
woman  came.  She  was  very  downcast  because  an- 
other woman,  one  of  the  Yumas,  said  she  was  going 
to  kill  her ;  but  I  consoled  her  and  told  her  not  to  be 
afraid,  and  she  became  quiet  and  very  contented. 

1  The  comments  in  the  parentheses  are  evidently  Pont 's. 

2  The  Cocomaricopas  lived  on  the  Gila  below  Gila  Bend.    They 
spoke  a  Yuman  tongue,  but  had  long  been  hostile  to  the  Yumas. 


314     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

Before  supper,  Palma  being  present  with  other  In- 
dians, for  he  is  never  absent,  I  explained  to  them 
how  God  had  created  the  first  man,  and  other  things 
of  our  holy  faith. 

December  8. — At  sunrise  I  said  Mass,  during 
which  I  gave  communion  to  one  of  the  servants. 
Some  of  the  Indians,  together  with  Palma  and  Cap- 
tain Pablo^  attended  the  holy  sacrifice  with  deep 
silence  and  close  attention.  In  the  afternoon  a  Yuma 
Indian  came  and  told  us  that  a  Pima  from  the  Gila 
River  had  arrived  at  the  other  side  of  the  river,  rid- 
ing a  mare,  and  reported  that  soldiers  with  civi- 
lized people  and  other  Pima  Indians  were  coming 
here.  I  do  not  know  what  there  may  be  in  this,  as 
there  has  been  no  previous  notice  of  their  coming. 

At  night  I  explained  to  Palma  and  others  who 
joined  the  circle  around  the  fire,  for  this  is  their 
custom,  the  mystery  of  the  Most  Holy  Trinity,  and 
other  points  concerning  our  holy  faith.  Afterward 
I  asked  Palma  if  he  believed  the  things  about  which 
I  was  telling  him.  He  replied  that  it  was  all  good, 
and  that  he  was  putting  it  in  his  heart,  and  was  very 
content.  He  said,  however,  that  there  remained  one 
thorn  in  his  breast,  for  we  were  now  teaching  him 
about  God,  but  since  we  were  to  remain  only  a  short 
time  in  his  house,  as  soon  as  we  should  depart  he 
would  forget  everything,  because  there  would  be  no 
one  to  teach  him.   To  console  him  I  told  him  that  I 

1  Pablo  was  chief  of  a  Yuma  village  or  villages  some  ten  miles 
down  the  Colorado,  just  below  Pilot  Knob,  and  just  across  the 
present  international  boundary  line,  near  Algodones,  Mexico. 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  315 

would  soon  return  and  remain  here  always,  but  that 
it  was  necessary  to  go  to  speak  with  the  king  in  order 
that  he  might  send  soldiers  and  Spaniards. 

With  this  Palma  was  satisfied,  but  I  remained 
confounded  to  see  a  heathen  like  him  importuning 
the  ministers  of  both  majesties  in  order  to  attain 
his  salvation.  The  stage  is  well  set,  and  if  the 
superiors  do  not  devote  themselves  to  bringing  the 
matter  through,  I  believe  that  they  will  be  responsible 
in  this  affair.  These  lands  are  rich  in  provisions. 
The  houses  of  the  Indians  are  full  of  beans  of  many 
kinds,  maize,  some  wheat  and  other  grains  which 
they  harvest.  The  climate  at  present  is  very  cold, 
for  ever  since  I  arrived  I  have  noted  that  the  water 
freezes  every  night ;  but  Father  Garces,  who  is  more 
experienced,  says  that  this  country  is  very  hot  in 
April  and  thereafter.  I  mention  here  only  what  I 
experience  during  the  time  while  I  am  writing  these 
notes. 

December  9. — After  sunrise  I  said  Mass,  but  it 
was  so  cold  that  my  fingers  were  numb  and  I  could 
scarcely  finish.  Today  nothing  special  happened, 
except  that  I  talked  to  Palma  for  the  purpose  of 
sending  a  courier  to  Caborca  and  to  the  presidio  of 
Altar.  He  furnished  me  two  Indians  who  already 
knew  the  road,  and  we  agreed  that  they  should  set 
out  on  the  10th  after  dinner. 

December  10. — At  sunrise  I  said  Mass,  which 
was  attended  by  many  Indians,  and  perhaps  with 
better  attention  than  is  shown  in  some  churches  in 


316     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

the  cities.  Palma  especially  is  surprising  for  his 
natural  modesty  and  gravity  when  he  attends  Mass, 
and  if  sometimes  an  Indian  talks  to  another  he 
chides  him  and  says  that  God  is  there  in  the  Mass. 
After  dinner  things  were  arranged  for  the 
couriers.  I  had  already  written  some  letters  for  the 
fathers  of  Caborca  and  Oquitoa,  and  also  to  Captain 
Urrea.^  I  sent  them  to  rope  a  mule  and  a  horse, 
but  they  were  unable  to  catch  the  mule.  On  this 
account  I  became  very  much  worried,  and  walked 
around  saying  the  Eosary,  when  immediately  one 
of  the  servants  came  and  handed  me  a  package 
addressed  to  Altar  and  brought  by  an  Indian  dis- 
patched by  the  commander  of  the  expedition.  I 
was  now  glad  that  my  messenger  had  not  started. 
I  then  came  to  the  house  and  saw  the  Indian  who 
had  brought  the  package,  and  going  out  again,  about 
sundown,  I  saw  that  the  animals  were  walking 
around  near  by.  I  told  Palma  to  send  some  Indians 
to  catch  the  mule  and  they  lassoed  her.  I  then 
ordered  them  to  tether  her  in  order  that  in  the  morn- 
ing my  courier  might  start  without  fail.  This 
courier  was  not  to  blame  if  I  did  not  know  whom 
to  believe.  I  am  in  need  of  nothing  except  wax 
candles  for  celebrating  Mass,  wine  for  the  same 
purpose,  and  a  little  soap  to  wash  the  corporals,  for 
although  the  expedition  has  left  us  something  it  is 
not  very  much;  especially  a  dozen  candles  are  not 
enough  to  say  Mass  for  the  whole  time  that  we  are 

1  Caborca,  Altar,  and  Oquitoa  were  and  are  towns  on  the  Altar 
Eiver  in  Sonora.     Urrea  was  captain  of  the  presidio  of  Altar. 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  317 

to  remain  here.  The  cold  has  been  very  intense  all 
day,  for  morning  dawned  with  a  stiff  north  wind 
which  has  continued  until  sunset. 

December  11. — At  daybreak  I  did  not  say  Mass, 
but  I  did  arrange  things  for  the  messenger  and  sent 
him  off  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Today 
dawned  cloudy  with  a  north  wind  that  was  very  cold 
and  unpleasant.  Well,  then,  my  courier  set  forth 
at  the  hour  named,  his  letters  being  carried  by  a 
Spanish  servant,  accompanied  by  Captain  Pablo 
who  knows  the  way.  The  other  Indian  who  was  to 
go  went  back  on  me,  saying  that  he  did  not  wish  to 
go  now.  I  do  not  know  the  reason  for  this  fickleness, 
but  attribute  it  merely  to  his  lack  of  constancy. 

The  fact  is  that  the  messenger  went  because  I  have 
been  left  without  wine  and  with  only  a  few  candles. 
I  say  without  wine,  because  that  which  Commander 
Ansa  has  left  us,  if  it  is  wine,  it  is  for  him  to  say, 
for  I  and  my  servants  do  not  recognize  it  as  such. 
Not  only  has  it  the  vilest  taste,  but  even  the  color 
looks  like  water  mixed  with  mud;  and  it  is  not 
because  it  is  mixed  with  the  thick  sediment  of  the 
bottle  but  because  perhaps  it  contains  another  mix- 
ture. What  is  certain  is  that  I  took  out  an  alimeta, 
thinking  that  perhaps  it  would  become  clear,  but  at 
the  end  of  three  days  I  found  it  just  the  same.  Like- 
wise, I  have  strained  it  through  a  clean  cloth,  but  it 
has  come  out  just  the  same.  In  short,  I  have  decided 
not  to  say  Mass — although  I  greatly  regret  it — until 
my  messenger  returns,  for  he  no  doubt  will  bring 
me  a  bottle  of  wine. 


318     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

It  is  true  that  I  have  said  Mass  here  three  or 
four  times,  but  always  with  some  repugnance,  for 
this  wine  makes  me  vomit ;  and  I  had  not  examined 
it  so  carefully  before  today,  trusting  that  it  was 
good  and  pure,  as  the  commander  himself  assured 
me  it  was.  Perhaps  his  Grace  was  not  aware  that 
they  had  played  a  trick  on  him.  He  also  told  me 
that  he  was  leaving  a  whole  bottle  of  wine,  although 
it  barely  amounts  to  half  a  bottle.  Today  I  began 
to  fast  because  I  see  now  that  I  am  entirely  over  my 
fever.  The  food  is  sufficient  if  it  were  well  seasoned, 
but  who  knows  what  it  lacks  1  Thank  God  that  with 
me  remained  here  a  servant  from  the  out  country, 
who  was  serving  one  of  the  families  which  were 
going  to  Monterey.  I  do  not  know  what  trouble  he 
had  with  his  master,  but  because  of  it  he  says  that 
he  has  decided  to  remain  here  until  the  return  of 
the  expedition,  when  he  will  go  out  with  us.  And 
this  servant  is  the  cook. 

In  the  afternoon  two  Indians  came  from  the 
sierra  to  visit  me,  and  I  made  them  presents  of  glass 
beads  and  tobacco.  At  night  Palma  came  with  a 
little  daughter  six  years  old,  and  I  taught  them  both 
to  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  telling  them  also  some 
matters  of  the  doctrine.  This  Captain  Palma,  who 
is  the  great  man  among  the  Indians,  has  only  one 
wife,  and  he  says  that  he  does  not  wish  any  more, 
because  from  her  he  has  had  and  now  has  five 
children  (I  know  of  this  many  at  least),  four  girls 
and  one  boy. 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  319 

December  12. — Before  daybreak  I  got  up  to 
warm  myself  because  the  cold  today  has  been  very 
severe.  In  the  morning  we  sang  the  Alabado,  as  is 
done  every  day,  and  then  Palma  came.  This  being 
the  feast  of  Guadalupe  I  explained  to  him  the  great 
celebration  which  is  held  in  Mexico,  and  that  if  he 
would  go  there  he  would  see  the  viceroy  and  all  the 
sights  of  Mexico,  adding  that  the  viceroy  greatly 
wished  to  see  him.  He  promptly  replied  that  he 
would  go  with  me  at  once  to  my  mission  and  from 
there  go  on  to  Mexico,  and  that  likewise  he  would 
take  with  him  a  fourteen  year  old  son  of  his,  in 
order  that  he  might  see  the  things  the  Spaniards 
have.  I  replied  to  him  that  when  Captain  Ansa 
returned  he  should  go,  assuring  him  that  in  this 
there  would  be  no  failure,  for  the  viceroy  greatly 
wished  to  see  him.  He  replied  that  this  was  good, 
and  that  he  greatly  wished  that  we  might  go  now, 
and  that  he  was  not  like  some  who  turn  their  backs 
on  what  they  have  said.  I  told  him  that  the  viceroy 
was  a  great  man,  and  would  give  him  many  presents, 
and  that  he  ruled  all  the  people  of  the  Indies.  I 
told  him  also  that  the  house  of  the  fathers,  that  is 
to  say,  the  College,^  is  very  large,  and  has  many 
fathers.  He  then  said  to  me  that  when  he  arrived 
in  Mexico  he  would  talk  with  the  viceroy,  asking 
him  to  send  to  his  country  many  Spaniards  and 
many  fathers,  for  in  his  land  they  would  not  be 

1  He  means  the  College  of  the  Holy  Cross  at  Queretaro,  to  which 
Fathers  Garces,  Eixarch,  and  Font  all  belonged. 


320     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

hungry  and  the  enemies  would  do  them  no  harm. 
With  this  the  talk  ended. 

December  13. — Day  dawned  cloudy  and  with  a 
very  cold  wind.  Afterward  it  began  to  rain  very 
lightly,  and  all  day  it  was  unsettled.  At  night  I  ex- 
plained to  the  Indians,  who  are  accustomed  to  assem- 
ble around  the  fire,  some  of  the  attributes  of  God, 
such  as  his  immensity,  etc.  I  then  asked  Palma  some 
questions  regarding  the  doctrine,  and  he  greatly 
pleased  me  for  he  is  now  learning  the  essentials. 

December  14. — At  daybreak  it  was  snowing,  al- 
though lightly.  Palma  came  and  I  began  to  talk, 
among  other  things  asking  him  how  far  the  sea  was 
from  here.  He  replied  that  his  relatives  had  told  him 
that  it  was  four  days  away,  but  that  he  had  not  seen 
it.  During  these  days  I  have  scarcely  been  able  to 
obtain  a  few  little  fish,  for  the  weather  is  very  cold, 
and  the  Indians  do  not  dare  to  go  out  to  fish.  I  judge 
that  all  the  fish  of  this  river  must  be  very  bony,  like 
the  matalote  of  the  Gila  River,  as  I  infer  from  all 
that  the  Indians  have  brought  me,  for  they  are  all  of 
one  species.  But  certain  it  is  that  although  it  is  so 
bony  it  is  very  fine  for  the  whiteness  of  its  flesh,  its 
fine  flavor,  and  its  wholesomeness.  At  noon  it  began 
to  snow  very  heavily,  with  medium-sized  white  flakes, 
but  it  did  not  freeze.  The  old  Indians  were  greatly 
surprised  to  see  the  snow,  and  some  of  them,  includ- 
ing Palma,  said  they  had  never  seen  such  a  thing 
before,  and  had  never  known  such  cold  weather. 

I  may  note  here  that  the  wheat  planted  by  the 
Indians  is  already  up,  and  this  without  irrigation. 


27/ 


f/cjci'A'e4  dc  Gite  ^'0  CcUxAjbo,  €jt^  d^o.  afY^CHxe" ^ Mfp9- 

ft  t€)do  \  p^K  icL  txxxJA  m4L  iTi<if9eXf>H  tof  ^nJ'Of  yyiuck^  ioi^y*^^^^ 
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/€i^«M^  y4i  €4^^eM  i^  lij'm^^  e^^cjr«>f^>nA^;  </  pox  f<*  >^i 
ehA  H0  jeapcL^fv)w  d^  tn'  h^^  ^uA  m^  i^y  a  Zoio^^'^'^  la 

Y  O^OS^a%^  GlciAdeyv  C^vv  >n»*cAo  ^U4^  ^oit:  el/ehc  (paJvneK. 

nc  -MPLA,  QoHfU^  Hfd^Vi'a.  no^ale)  kcu^  koJo  to  ^^^  n^$  ^ 

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€£>yiHi^  vax^  de  M^mJL  p&»ci  ^aca^  -sjj^  oUclX/^**^  hi^f^ 
:^i'//a  ^Hfs  dt'cts.  i     /         ^     /  k 

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%Q>7\ui\e%oLdc%^  Jcfyyic^  p)t/'^cip£s/d^i^i4,^t^<x,c<^^l'C'<^^ 


First  page  of  Eixarch's  diary. 


EIXARCH'S  DIARY  321 

The  land  is  so  good  that  only  with  the  bathing  given 
it  by  the  river  during  the  time  of  its  floods  it  con- 
serves enough  moisture  so  that  it  produces  wheat, 
and  also  maize,  beans,  watermelons,  calabashes,  etc., 
and  they  say  that  of  maize  they  harvest  two  crops. 
It  is  true  that  the  seed  is  from  what  they  call  Apache 
maize,  which  matures  very  rapidly.  In  the  after- 
noon the  Indians  came  and  told  me  that  a  horse  had 
mired  in  a  lagoon,  the  animal  being  one  of  those  left 
tired  out  by  the  commander  of  the  expedition.  I  at 
once  ordered  Palma  to  send  Indians  to  pull  him  out. 
They  went  and  brought  him  to  me,  and  he  was  all 
covered  over  with  mud,  clear  to  his  back. 

December  15. — Day  dawned  very  clear  and  se- 
rene, and  although  fresh  it  was  not  so  cold  as  yes- 
terday. Palma  came  promptly  to  kiss  my  hand,  as 
he  does  every  day,  and  I  told  him  to  send  the  Indians 
to  bring  me  some  fish.  He  went  promptly  and  sent 
an  Indian,  and  in  the  afternoon  he  brought  nine 
good-sized  fish.  Today  I  made  an  atril  for  the  mis- 
sal from  a  few  boards;  I  also  arranged  various 
things  in  the  house.  At  night  I  explained  to  Palma 
and  others  the  immortality  of  the  human  soul,  to- 
gether with  several  other  points  of  our  holy  faith; 
and  then  we  retired. 

December  16. — Morning  dawned  cloudy.  After  I 
had  sung  the  Alahado,  according  to  custom,  Palma 
came  to  visit  me.  Today  has  been  very  raw,  so  that 
the  cold  has  not  permitted  me  to  leave  the  house.  At 
night  several  Indians  gathered  in  the  circle  around 
the  fire,  and  after  saying  the  Rosary  I  had  several 


322     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

of  them  make  the  sign  of  the  cross  and  say  the  Padre 
Nuestro}  Today  nothing  happened  except  the  usual 
everyday  occurrences. 

December  17. — Day  dawned  very  clear  and  se- 
rene, but  quite  cold  because  of  the  wind,  which  I 
judge  comes  from  places  or  sierras  that  are  snow- 
covered.  At  noon  an  old  man  came  and  asked  me  if 
I  wished  to  buy  from  him  a  little  Apache  captive 
which  he  had.  I  told  him  to  bring  him  to  me,  and  he 
went  at  once  and  brought  him,  asking  me  to  trade 
a  horse  for  him.  I  told  him  that  I  would  do  so,  but 
that  now  the  horse  was  at  Caborca,  for  my  courier 
had  taken  him.  He  replied  that  this  was  all  right, 
so  he  left  me  the  boy  in  exchange  for  the  horse  which 
I  am  to  give  him.  The  little  Apache  apparently  must 
be  about  five  or  six  years  old. 

I  may  note  here  that  in  this  country  on  the  fron- 
tiers of  the  enemies,  at  the  presidio  of  Tubac,  for 
example,  they  buy  or  rather  barter  for  little  cap- 
tives from  the  heathen.^  These  Indians  raise  them, 
and  when  they  wish  they  sell  them  to  white  people,  as 
if  they  were  slaves,  which  is  altogether  contrary  to 
law.  I  have  made  this  remark  because  there  are 
many  half-breed  gentlemen  who  pride  themselves 
on  having  Indian  captives  in  practical  slavery,  igno- 
rant in  their  pride  of  the  fact  that  the  Indians  were 
born  free,  and  that  doubtless  they  have  better  and 

i^'Our  Father/'  i.e.,  the  Lord's  Prayer. 

2  These  captives,  often  held  as  slaves,  were  called  Niforaa.  The 
institution  was  well  known.  In  New  Mexico  such  people  were 
commonly  called  Genizaros,  or  Janissaries. 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  323 

purer  blood  than  their  half-breed  Spanish  lordships, 
themselves. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  five  Jalchedun  Indians 
came  to  visit  me.  I  made  them  a  present  of  tobacco, 
and  immediately  Palma,  in  the  presence  of  many 
persons  who  were  assembled  at  my  house,  delivered 
a  long  harangue,  as  is  his  custom  whenever  strange 
Indians  come.  And  to  manifest  his  authority  he  al- 
ways puts  on  the  gold-braided  blue  capingot  which 
his  Excellency,  the  Viceroy  Bucareli,  has  given  him 
as  a  present. 

December  18. — In  the  morning  it  was  very  cold 
and  somewhat  cloudy,  but  later  on  it  became  fair 
and  turned  out  to  be  a  fine  day.  Today  there  has 
been  nothing  else  worth  noting  down. 

December  19. — I  got  up  long  before  daybreak, 
because  it  was  so  cold  that  I  was  able  to  sleep  hardly 
at  all  during  the  night.  Afterward  a  very  fair  day 
dawned,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  day  it  was  hot.  In 
the  afternoon  Palma  went  with  nearly  all  the  men 
and  many  women  to  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and 
when  I  asked  them  where  they  were  going  they  re- 
plied that  they  were  going  to  dig  and  bring  water- 
melons. This  reply  should  not  appear  frivolous,  for 
these  Indians  still  preserve  this  fruit  underground, 
and  in  proof  of  this  I  have  here  in  this  house  six 
watermelons  which  they  have  given  me.  I  write  no 
more  today  because  a  repetition  of  everyday  hap- 
penings is  tiresome. 

December  20. — Again  I  arose  long  before  day- 
break because  of  the  extreme  cold,  but  a  fair  day 


324     THE  SAN  PEANCISCO  COLONY 

dawned.  In  the  afternoon  I  went  with  Palma  to  see 
the  river  at  the  place  they  call  Puerto  de  la  Concep- 
cion,^  distant  from  this  house  about  a  league.  With 
propriety  they  call  this  place  a  pass,  for  there  are 
two  very  high  hills  between  which  flows  the  great 
Colorado  Eiver.  I  call  it  great,  because  if  this  river 
comes  to  be  settled  by  Spaniards  they  will  have 
everything  that  could  be  desired  for  human  exist- 
ence. Its  lands  are  most  fertile,  and,  in  short,  it  has 
not  been  possible  as  yet  to  ascertain  the  number  of 
heathen  who  live  and  are  maintained  on  its  delight- 
ful banks.  Some  other  day  I  shall  speak  more  in 
detail  of  this  pass,  for  I  wish  to  go  sometime  to  ex- 
amine it  leisurely,  and  I  think  this  will  be  soon. 

December  21. — At  daybreak  it  was  very  unset- 
tled and  windy,  but  as  soon  as  the  sun  came  out  the 
weather  became  fair.  Before  noon  some  old  men 
from  the  villages  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  came 
to  visit  me.  I  gave  them  tobacco  and  they  went  away 
very  well  satisfied.  I  may  note  here  that  many  of  the 
people  who  live  near  by  came  today.  Although  those 
who  have  come  have  been  many,  I  do  not  yet  dare  to 
make  an  estimate  of  the  number  that  may  be  com- 
prised in  the  Yuma  tribe.  Each  day  I  see  new  faces, 
and  it  is  not  easy  at  one  view  to  estimate  the  number. 
This  morning  Palma  sent  four  Indians  to  catch  fish 
and  in  the  afternoon  they  came  back  bringing  some. 
They  also  brought  me  alive  a  feathered  creature 
which  they  call  black  duck.  It  is  true  that  it  has  feet 

1  The  Puerto  de  la  Concepcion  was  the  narrow  passage  through 
which  the  Colorado  runs  right  at  Yuma,  where  the  railroad  bridge 
crosses  it. 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  325 

like  a  duck  but  the  beak  is  like  that  of  a  chicken. 
They  say  that  it  is  a  water  fowl,  for  it  does  not  come 
out  of  the  water  but  remains  there  all  the  time.  It 
has  wings  like  a  duck  but  everything  else  like  a 
chicken.  It  is  ash  colored,  verging  on  black,  and  in 
the  forehead  it  has  a  chocolate  colored  crescent 
which  beautifies  it.  Today  I  made  a  hencoop  like  a 
little  house  in  which  to  keep  eight  hens  and  one 
rooster  which  the  people  of  the  expedition  gave  me. 
These  Indians  do  not  have  hens.  Perhaps  they  have 
eaten  them,  for  in  a  house  near  here  I  have  seen  two 
roosters. 

December  22. — It  was  cloudy  in  the  morning  and 
not  very  cold,  continuing  this  way  throughout  the 
day.  In  the  morning  I  planted  various  seeds  in  a 
piece  of  land  which  I  had  prepared  and  fenced  in 
near  the  house.  I  named  it  the  garden  because  I 
planted  peaches,  beans,  peas,  onions,  cauliflower, 
anise,  manzanilla,  etc.  In  the  afternoon  I  took  a  walk 
to  the  river  with  an  Indian.  In  the  morning  Palma  's 
two  daughters  came  and  brought  me  three  very  large 
and  very  handsome  watermelons.  One  of  his  daugh- 
ters, who  came  with  her  little  child  at  her  breast,  I 
had  not  known  about,  because  she  is  married  and 
lives  on  the  other  side  of  the  Puerto.  Counting  this 
one,  Palma  has  six  children  that  I  know  of.  There 
likewise  came  two  Cajuenche  women  bringing  me  a 
little  maize,  and  I  gave  them  glass  beads,  of  which 
they  are  very  f  ond.^ 

1  The  Cajuenches,  also  Yuman  people,  lived  down  the  Colorado,  a 
few  miles  below  the  villages  of  Pablo.  They  were  also  called 
Cojats  by  Anza. 


326     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

December  23. — This  morning  it  was  raining,  al- 
though not  heavily,  and  continued  until  midday,  but 
the  afternoon  was  fair  and  neither  hot  nor  cold. 

December  24. — In  the  morning  it  was  fair  and 
serene  but  quite  cold.  This  for  me  has  been  a  very  sad 
day,  for  I  do  not  have  wine  with  which  to  say  even 
one  Mass  in  the  morning,  but  I  think  that  the  courier 
whom  I  sent  to  Caborca  will  soon  be  back,  and  this 
is  a  consolation  for  the  land  for  which  I  hope.  At 
night  a  Yuma  came  and  told  me  that  when  Father 
Garces  arrived  the  Indians  of  the  Jalliquamay  tribe 
were  fighting  with  the  people  of  the  Cucapa  tribe,^ 
their  enemies.  They  added  that  the  Cucapas  had 
taken  away  the  father's  habit  and  left  him  naked, 
because  those  people  do  not  care  to  do  anything  ex- 
cept to  kill  the  other  tribes,  and  **what  is  a  padre 
good  for?''  they  say.  This  report  was  brought  to 
the  Yumas  by  a  Cajuenche.  They  say  also  that  the 
father  had  with  him  only  Sebastian,  and  that  before 
he  dismounted  these  Indians  knocked  him  oif  the 
mule  which  he  was  riding,  pulled  to  pieces  the  pack 
which  the  other  mule  was  carrying,  and  took  out 
everything  the  poor  father  possessed.  This  was 
only  some  sheepskin  mats  to  sleep  on,  some  glass 
beads  and  tobacco  to  give  them  as  presents,  some 
biscuits,  and  a  little  chocolate  which  he  took  for  food 
on  the  way.  Other  details  I  omit  for  the  present,  for 
as  a  rule  I  do  not  have  much  faith  in  what  the  In- 
dians say,  although  since  the  reports  are  ominous  I 
am  inclined  to  give  them  some  credit. 

1  The  Jalliquamay  and  C6copa  tribes  lived  down  the  Colorado 
near  its  mouth. 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  327 

December  25. — The  dawn  brought  forth  most 
beautiful  weather  for  the  Day  of  the  Nativity.  Many 
Indians  came  to  see  me,  but  nothing  in  particular 
happened. 

December  26. — Day  dawned  clear  and  serene  but 
so  very  cold  that  water  froze,  but  afterward  the  day 
was  fair;  and  I  have  noted  that  nearly  every  day  it 
is  the  same,  cold  in  the  morning  and  afterward  hot, 
and  although  the  extremes  of  temperature  are  not 
very  great,  nevertheless  I  surmise  that  this  country 
would  be  very  bad  for  people  who  are  used  to  other 
climates.  Among  the  Indians  there  are  many  very 
old  men  and  women,  but  this  is  not  strange  since 
they  are  inured  to  this  climate.  In  the  afternoon 
Palma  and  a  servant  of  mine  came  from  the  woods 
whither  they  went  to  kill  a  cow  which  Captain  Ansa 
left  Palma  two  years  ago.^  Through  lack  of  a  good 
horse  they  were  unable  to  kill  it ;  but  they  captured 
a  large  calf,  probably  the  offspring  of  the  cow.  They 
killed  it  in  the  woods,  and  this  Palma  gave  me  nearly 
all  of  it.  Today  nothing  else  happened. 

December  27. — Day  dawned  very  cold  and  quiet. 
Soon  there  came  a  son  of  the  old  man  from  whom, 
as  I  said  above,  I  purchased  the  little  Apache,  and 
I  delivered  to  him  a  young  horse  with  four  white 
feet  which  I  had  for  my  personal  use.  The  old  man 
did  not  wish  to  wait  for  the  return  of  the  horse  which 
the  courier  took  to  Caborca  and  therefore  I  gave 
him  this  one,  the  only  one  I  had  here.  In  the  after- 
noon some  Jalchedunes  came  to  visit  me.  Since  they 

1  This  was  when  Anza  made  his  first  expedition  to  Monterey  in 
1774. 


328     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

are  of  a  different  tribe,  although  they  speak  the 
same  idiom,  many  of  these  Yumas,  not  only  men  but 
also  women  and  children,  assembled  at  the  news.  I 
judge  that  altogether  there  were  more  than  a  hun- 
dred persons.  At  sunset  they  all  went  away  except 
Palma  and  his  immediate  dependents ;  for  as  I  have 
said,  he  lives  near  here,  only  about  a  gunshot  away. 

December  28. — At  dawn  it  was  very  cold  but  the 
weather  was  fair  and  quiet.  Before  noon  many  Jal- 
chedunes  came,  and  I  gave  them  tobacco,  with  which 
they  were  much  pleased.  Afterward  they  talked  to 
me  a  long  while,  and  the  whole  conversation  con- 
sisted in  their  saying  that  they  greatly  loved  the 
fathers  and  the  Spaniards,  and  greatly  wished  that 
we  would  come  to  live  among  them;  that  they 
greatly  loved  the  king,  and  would  gladly  do  every- 
thing that  he  might  require  of  them ;  and  that  all  the 
things  which  Palma  had  said  to  them  were  good. 
With  this  they  went  away  very  well  content. 

December  29. — In  the  morning  it  was  so  very 
raw  and  cold  that  all  the  water  froze  and  that  which 
fell  to  the  ground  immediately  turned  to  ice,  but 
afterward  the  day  was  like  summer.  In  the  after- 
noon a  Yuma  Indian  who  had  been  four  days  among 
the  Cajuenches  came  and  told  me  that  Father  Garces 
had  crossed  the  river.  They  added  that  what  they 
had  previously  told  me  was  not  true,  for  the  Indians 
not  only  greatly  loved  him,  but  they  put  at  his  dis- 
posal everything  they  have.  When  the  father  comes 
I  will  relate  the  truth  about  everything,  for  these 
Indians,  like  all  the  rest,  think  that  whatever  they 


EIXARCH'S  DIARY  329 

dream  is  a  fact.  In  some  matters  they  are  very  re- 
liable, but  in  their  words,  I  have  observed,  they 
scarcely  appear  to  be  human  beings.  At  sunset  an 
Indian  woman  came  and  made  me  a  present  of  a 
large  watermelon.  She  came  from  the  Sierra  de  San 
Pablo,^  where  during  these  days  nearly  all  the  Yu- 
mas  have  assembled  to  eat  watermelons  and  dance. 
Palma  wished  to  go  to  this  fiesta,  but  I  asked  him  if 
he  intended  to  leave  me  alone,  and  this  was  enough 
to  prevent  him  from  going. 

December  30. — At  daybreak  it  was  cloudy  and 
therefore  not  very  cold.  After  midday  a  man  and  a 
woman  came  to  see  me,  or  to  see  **E1  Padre,''  as 
they  say.  To  the  woman  I  gave  glass  beads  and 
to  the  man  tobacco,  and  they  were  very  well  pleased. 
Of  these  Jalchedunes  many  have  already  come,  es- 
pecially the  men.  Today  nothing  else  has  occurred. 
At  night  some  Indians  assembled  at  the  Rosary,  and 
likewise  some  women  with  their  children.  After 
praying  and  singing  the  praises  of  the  Most  Holy 
Virgin  I  explained  the  mystery  of  the  unity  of  God 
and  some  of  His  attributes,  especially  His  omnipo- 
tence, manifested  in  the  creation  of  such  things  as 
the  water,  the  heavens,  the  firmament,  the  sun,  and 
other  things  most  conspicuous,  for  I  accommodate 
myself  to  the  simplicity  of  these  poor  ignorants. 

December  31. — At  daybreak  it  was  raining, 
though  not  very  heavily,  but  all  this  day  was  dark 
and  cloudy.  Early  in  the  afternoon  a  Cajuenche  came 

1  The  Sierra  de  San  Pablo  was  Pilot  Knob,  eight  miles  below 
Yuma. 


330     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

and  brought  a  horse,  one  of  several  which  were  left 
tired  out  when  the  expedition  passed  through  their 
country. 

January  1,  1776. — Morning  dawned  very  fair  but 
likewise  very  cold.  After  dinner  I  decided  to  go  with 
an  Indian  to  Caborca,  for  Father  Garces  is  still  mov- 
ing very  slowly  among  his  Indians.  The  courier 
whom  I  sent  likewise  does  not  return,  and  for  this 
and  other  reasons  I  shall  go  for  a  few  days  to  visit 
the  fathers  of  the  West. 

After  dinner,  then,  I  set  out  from  this  place  on 
horseback,  with  an  Indian,  he  being  the  one  who  goes 
as  guide,  three  others  going  on  foot  as  far  as  the 
river.  I  crossed  it  with  some  difficulty  on  horseback, 
wetting  my  feet  and  my  knees,  for  although  I  raised 
them  up  the  water  was  high  and  the  horse  was  small. 
Having  crossed  the  river  I  traveled  about  five  leagues, 
and  before  sunset  I  halted  in  a  very  large  sandy 
stretch  which  I  called  La  Circumcision,  because  this 
is  the  day  of  that  feast.^  This  place  has  a  good  deal 
of  grass,  but  little  and  bad  firewood  and  no  water. 
The  Indian,  whom  I  am  taking  with  me  because  he 
knows  the  road,  is  so  skillful  that  I  am  forced  to 
saddle  his  horse,  bridle  it,  and  afterward  help  him 
mount.  The  provisions  which  I  am  carrying  consist 
of  meat,  pinole,  and  some  biscuits. 

January  2. — Day  dawned  fair,  and  at  sunrise  the 
Indian  and  I  mounted  our  animals  and  set  out  from 

1  Father  Eixarch  and  his  Indian  guide  evidently  proceeded 
southeast  from  Yuma  toward  Tinajas  Altas  Pass.  La  Circumcisi6n 
was  in  the  plain  between  Yuma  and  the  Fortuna  Mine. 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  331 

the  camp.  When  we  had  traveled  about  three  leagues 
the  horse  became  tired,  so  I  decided  that  the  Indian 
should  go  on  foot.  We  therefore  left  the  horse  and 
his  trappings  beside  the  road  and  continued  on  our 
way,  I  mounted  on  a  fairly  good  mule  and  the  Indian 
on  foot.  We  traveled  thus  for  about  two  leagues, 
and  then,  because  the  Indian  was  going  so  slowly,  I 
waited  for  him  in  the  shade  of  a  tree.  He  came  up 
and  we  smoked  a  cigarette.  Soon  I  said  to  him  that 
we  must  move  on  and  he  told  me  to  go  on  ahead.  I 
did  so,  and  having  traveled  about  a  league  and  a 
half  I  again  turned  around  to  see  if  the  rascal  was 
coming,  but  there  was  no  Indian  in  sight.  So  I 
dismounted  from  the  mule  and  sat  down  to  await 
him,  but  I  got  tired  of  waiting  and  concluded  that 
the  Indian  had  gone  back.^ 

Finding  myself  alone  in  an  intricate  thicket,  with 
no  other  trail  than  the  one  made  by  my  courier  when 
he  passed  through  on  his  way  to  Caborca,  I  had  con- 
flicting thoughts.  On  the  one  hand  I  wished  to  go  on 
alone,  but  my  fear  through  having  little  or  no  prac- 
tice in  following  trails,  and  the  lack  of  water,  which 
I  had  not  tasted  today,  caused  me  to  turn  back  over 
the  same  track  or  trail  which  I  had  followed.  It 
must  have  been  about  ten  o^clock  in  the  morning 
when  I  commenced  to  trot  my  mule  and  to  travel  as 
fast  as  I  could.   And  so  I  hurried  on  and  reached 

1  Eixarch  was  now  some  eleven  and  one-half  leagues,  or  some 
thirty  miles,  from  Yuma,  and  could  hardly  have  reached  Tinajas 
Altas  Pass.  He  returned  faster  than  he  had  gone,  reaching  the 
Colorado  Eiver  in  one  day. 


332     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

the  place  where  I  had  left  the  horse  and  the  saddle, 
but  I  did  not  find  him.  However,  I  found  signs  of 
the  Indian,  who  had  caught  the  horse  and  disap- 
peared. Since  I  did  not  know  the  road  very  well  I 
was  now  in  a  hurry,  and  so  I  spurred  the  mule  harder 
than  before.  Beaching  the  place  where  I  had  camped, 
and  following  the  trail,  I  overtook  the  Indian  about 
four  o^clock  in  the  afternoon  at  some  little  houses 
of  some  Pimas  who  are  camped  near  the  banks  of 
the  Gila  Eiver,  which  I  had  crossed  the  day  before 
with  great  difficulty ;  for  although  this  stream  is  not 
so  wide  as  the  Colorado  yet  it  carries  a  large  amount 
of  water.  At  these  little  houses  I  stopped  for  the 
night,  but  I  did  not  say  a  word  to  the  Indian.  Here 
I  distributed  glass  beads,  tobacco,  and  some  pieces 
of  meat  among  the  Indian  men  and  women  who  were 
very  obliging  to  me. 

January  3. — The  day  dawned  fair,  and  I  set  out 
from  the  little  houses  at  sunrise.  After  going  about 
a  short  league  I  crossed  the  Gila  Eiver.  Then  I 
passed  the  house  which  Palma  made  us  when  we 
came  with  the  expedition.  Traveling  about  a  league 
and  a  half  more,  I  arrived  at  the  bank  of  the  Colo- 
rado Eiver,  which  I  crossed  on  the  mule  with  a  great 
deal  of  difficulty,  wetting  my  shoes,  leggins,  and  my 
breeches  somewhat.  Finally,  having  forded  the  river, 
I  traveled  about  half  a  league,  till  I  reached  my 
dwelling,  where  I  arrived  safe  and  sound. 

Before  dinner  I  called  Palma  and  the  Indian,  my 
companion,  and  told  Palma  what  happened  to  me, 
and  how  he  had  left  me  alone  on  the  road  and  re- 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  333 

turned  without  saying  a  word.  In  short  I  recounted 
the  whole  affair  to  Palma,  not  omitting  anything. 
Such  was  the  wrath  which  Palma  felt  that  he  was 
about  to  beat  the  poor  Indian;  but  I  told  him  that  I 
did  not  wish  him  to  strike  him,  and  that  although  he 
had  done  me  that  injury  I  greatly  loved  him,  as  he 
was  a  simpleton  and  did  not  know  any  better,  for 
God  commanded  me  that  I  must  have  great  love  for 
those  who  injured  me.  With  this  Palma  was  paci- 
fied, but  he  delivered  a  long  harangue  to  the  Indians 
who  were  assembled,  telling  them  how  they  must 
treat  the  fathers.  And  so  we  satisfactorily  adjusted 
matters. 

In  the  afternoon  one  of  the  two  interpreters 
whom  Father  Garces  had  with  him  came  bringing 
me  a  letter  from  this  father,  in  which  he  tells  me 
that  he  will  be  here  tonight.  About  seven  o'clock 
Father  Garces  arrived,  and  I  was  greatly  delighted, 
for  I  was  anxious  to  see  him.^  After  supper  we 
talked  a  good  while,  and  he  recounted  to  me  many 
notable  things,  which  I  will  note  down  when  the 
father  gives  me  the  diaries  which  he  has  kept. 

January  4. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was  un- 
settled, the  sky  being  nearly  all  clouded  over;  and 
during  the  day  it  rained  at  times.  Early  in  the  after- 
noon the  courier  whom  I  sent  to  Caborca  returned. 
The  father  of  that  mission  sent  me  some  hosts,  and 
the  father  of  Oquitoa  sent  me  two  bladders  of  tallow 
and  twenty  wax  candles,  while  Captain  Urrea  sent 

1  Father  Garces  was  returning  from  a  journey  down  the  Colorado, 
having  left  Anza  for  this  purpose  at  Santa  Olaya  on  December  9th. 


334     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

me  an  alimeta  of  white  wine  for  Masses  and  a  little 
soap.  I  am  very  sorry  that  they  did  not  bring  me 
more  wine,  for  with  only  an  alimeta  I  have  not 
enough  to  begin  with,  and  so  I  can  not  promise  to 
remain  very  long  in  this  place  unless  God  should 
dispose  otherwise. 

January  5. — The  servants  killed  a  beef.  This 
morning  it  was  cloudy  and  very  cold;  afterward  it 
began  to  rain,  and  although  not  much  water  fell  it 
kept  it  up  nearly  all  day. 

January  6. — Since  I  now  had  an  alimeta  of  good 
wine  we  said  Mass,  and  a  large  number  of  Indians 
attended.  Palma  especially  was  present  as  always, 
with  close  attention  and  outward  devotion,  remain- 
ing on  his  knees  all  the  time  through  the  two  Masses. 
This  morning  it  was  fair,  but  it  soon  became  cloudy 
and  very  cold.  In  the  afternoon  the  weather  was 
fair  again  and  many  Indians  came  to  see  the  padres, 
and  likewise  the  things  of  the  house. 

January  7. — In  the  morning  it  was  fair  and  calm. 
I  said  Mass  at  sunrise,  and  afterward  Father  Garces 
said  another,  some  Indians  attending  both.  After 
Mass  a  strong  raw  wind  arose,  and  as  the  house  is 
not  well  sheltered  we  were  scarcely  able  to  stay  in- 
side because  of  the  cold.  Notwithstanding  this,  in 
order  to  keep  my  promise  I  will  copy  here  the  diary 
which  Father  Garces  has  kept  during  his  journey 
and  which  is  as  follows : 

[Here  he  sets  forth  what  Father  Garces  relates 
in  his  diary  regarding  his  journey  to  the  mouth  of 


EIXARCH'S  DIAET  335 

the  river,  but  I  omit  it  because  it  all  can  be  seen  in 
the  diary  which  Father  Garces  kept/] 

January  8. — I  began  to  write  the  itinerary  or 
diary  kept  by  Father  Garces  in  the  foregoing  jour- 
ney. Today  it  was  very  cold,  and  we  did  not  say 
Mass.  Palma  and  Captain  Pablo  continue  to  stay 
at  the  house  and  to  listen  with  great  pleasure  to 
things  which  are  told  them  about  God. 

January  9. — After  the  Aldbado,  which  I  sang  at 
daybreak,  I  continued  writing.  It  was  very  cold  to- 
day likewise,  and  there  was  nothing  else  worth 
mentioning. 

January  10. — There  was  no  Mass  because  the 
wine  is  not  plentiful  and  is  being  saved  for  feast 
days.  Yesterday  the  Indian  Sebastian  and  a  servant 
went  beyond  the  Sierra  de  San  Pablo  to  get  a  cow 
belonging  to  Palma  which  Captain  Ansa  left  him 
during  the  last  expedition.  I  may  note  that  I  and 
Father  Garces  asked  Palma  to  give  us  this  cow  be- 
cause it  was  fat,  offering  him  a  lean  one  which  had 
remained  tired  out  during  this  expedition.  This 
Palma  is  so  generous  that  immediately  he  said  that 
we  might  have  her,  and  with  this  permission  the 
servants  mentioned  set  forth  to  get  her. 

Today  I  went  with  two  interpreters  to  see  a  very 
rare  thing.  It  happened  that  they  had  told  me  that 
it  was  the  custom  of  these  Indians  when  a  woman 
comes  to  her  first  menstruation  to  bury  her  in  the 
sand,  having  warmed  it  previously  with  fire.   Then 

1  This  note  was  written  by  Father  Font.    See  p.  339. 


336     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

many  women  sing  and  dance  about  lier  for  a  space 
of  two  or  three  hours,  performing  this  ceremony 
four  consecutive  days  at  a  designated  hour.  During 
these  four  days  the  woman  does  not  eat,  they  say, 
and  only  drinks  water  at  sunset.  These  four  days 
having  passed,  they  daub  her  hair  with  a  kind  of 
gum  like  mud  for  four  more  days,  and  during  this 
time  they  gave  her  food  to  eat,  without  salt.  After 
these  four  days  they  daub  her  hair  with  mud  four 
more  days,  and  then  she  eats  and  drinks  as  she 
wishes. 

I  did  not  wish  to  believe  that  they  buried  her  or 
that  after  the  dance  was  over  they  took  her  in  their 
hands,  tossed  her  up  in  the  air  three  times  and  the 
last  time  let  her  fall.  But  since  Palma  had  told  me 
these  things,  and  I  had  heard  the  singing  for  the  two 
previous  days  consecutively,  I  asked  the  two  inter- 
preters to  accompany  me.  They  did  so,  and  we  hid 
ourselves  in  the  woods,  whence  I  observed  the  man- 
ner of  the  dancing  and  the  singing  by  a  large  circle 
of  Indian  women.  When  I  saw  them  deeply  absorbed 
in  their  ceremony  I  emerged  from  the  wood  with  my 
interpreters,  and  we  went  near  to  a  little  fire  which 
they  had  there.  The  mother  of  the  girl,  or  woman,  of 
the  ceremony,  was  crouched  low  down  near  a  bulk 
covered  with  a  blanket  made  of  the  bark  of  trees 
which  they  weave.  I  removed  the  blanket  and  saw 
the  girl,  and  I  recognized  her  because  she  lives  near 
by  and  comes  here  every  day.  She  was  buried  full 
length  in  the  sand  as  if  dead,  with  only  her  head  un- 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  337 

covered.  At  her  head  were  planted  two  little  stakes 
to  hold  up  the  blanket,  in  order  that  it  might  not 
prevent  her  from  breathing.  I  touched  the  sand  with 
which  she  was  covered  and  it  was  hot,  although  not 
extremely  so.  This  ceremony  and  the  others,  they 
say,  they  perform  with  all  the  girls  at  their  first 
period.  I  here  relate  what  I  saw;  as  to  the  rest  I 
can  give  no  assurance.  They  have  told  me  that  these 
heathen  barbarians  practice  other  ceremonies,  such 
as  burning  the  dead  until  they  are  reduced  to  ashes, 
and  burning  their  treasures,  breaking  their  jugs, 
and  deserting  their  houses  and  their  fields  even 
though  they  have  many  crops. 

January  11. — This  morning  it  was  fair  but  cold. 
In  the  afternoon  the  servants  came  with  the  butch- 
ered cow.  Some  tallow  was  removed  and  the  rest 
of  the  meat  was  jerked.  I  have  taken  the  precau- 
tion to  put  the  fresh  meat  on  the  top  of  the  house  in 
order  that  the  Indians  may  not  steal  it  from  me,  for 
in  this  matter  of  using  their  claws  these  Yumas  are 
very  dextrous. 

The  Indian  Sebastian  having  arrived,  and  I  hav- 
ing so  little  wine,  as  I  have  said,  I  asked  him  if  he 
wished  to  go  to  Tubutama^  for  a  bottle  of  it.  He  re- 
plied in  the  affirmative,  and  I  said,  ^^Well  then,  get 
ready  to  go  in  the  morning,^'  and  so  he  went.  I  may 
note  that  the  servant  or  page  of  Father  Garces,  Jo- 
seph Maria  Araiza,  became  somewhat  sick  from  flux, 

1  Tubutama  was  a  mission  and  is  now  a  town  in  the  Altar 
Valley,  Sonora. 


338     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

according  to  what  lie  told  us,  and  decided  to  go  to 
El  Altar  with  the  Indian  Sebastian.  Father  Garces, 
seeing  how  little  he  did  and  how  useless  he  was  here, 
for  he  was  of  no  account,  gave  him  permission  to  go. 
I  did  not  wish  to  retain  him,  although  the  mule  on 
which  he  was  to  go  was  very  lean.  In  fact,  for  the 
sake  of  getting  rid  of  a  useless  man  I  was  glad  to 
have  him  take  the  road  even  though  in  this  way  he 
deprived  me  of  a  good  mule.  This  page  or  servant  is 
the  one  whom  Father  Garces  brought  from  Tubac, 
he  himseK  having  volunteered  to  come  with  the 
father  to  serve  him  without  any  stipend.  And  now 
no  other  servant  remains  than  the  Indian  Sebastian, 
a  little  boy  whom  I  brought  from  Tubac,  and  the 
young  cook  of  whom  I  made  mention  on  the  11th  of 
December.  For  although  the  three  interpreters  re- 
main, they  are  of  no  use  whatever  except  to  talk  with 
the  Indians,  and  for  nothing  else. 

January  12. — In  the  afternoon  the  Indian  Sebas- 
tian and  the  page  of  Father  Garces  set  forth  on  the 
road  for  Caborca,  by  way  of  the  Papagos.  He  said 
that  he  would  go  and  get  back  in  two  weeks.^  Well, 
we  shall  see.  Today  the  weather  was  fair. 

January  13. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was 
fair.  About  noon  three  Jalchedunes  came  and  gave 
us  news  of  the  soldiers  who  went  out  to  fight  with 
the  Apaches  in  the  general  campaign,  according  to 
what  we  were  able  to  gather  from  the  signs  which 
they  made  us.    Palma  received  them  in  a  friendly 

1  Quinze  dias,  literally  -fifteen  days. 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  339 

way,  treating  them  with  acts  of  true  friendship.  He 
took  them  to  his  house  to  eat,  and  talked  with  them 
during  the  whole  night,  as  he  customarily  does  when- 
ever Jalchedunes  come.  I  say  this  in  order  to  show 
the  generous  heart  of  Palma,  for,  having  been  so 
hostile  to  the  Jalchedun  tribe  for  at  least  fifty  years 
back  (and  perhaps  it  is  even  longer  than  this  that 
the  Yumas  have  been  at  open  war  with  the  Jalche- 
dunes), now,  because  the  fathers  have  persuaded 
him  that  he  must  not  fight  but  must  be  at  peace  with 
all  the  tribes,  he  not  only  forgives  them  but  does 
them  all  the  good  in  his  power. 

January  14. — ^We  said  Mass,  and  about  ten 
o'clock  in  the  morning  Palma  went  with  the  three 
Jalchedunes  and  many  Yumas  to  visit  and  talk  with 
the  Cajuenche  tribe,  likewise  formerly  their  enemies. 
I  think  that  all  of  these  tribes  will  remain  friendly 
if  the  appropriate  measures  are  taken  by  the  su- 
perior authorities,  but  if  they  delay  long  in  estab- 
lishing soldiers  and  a  presidio  of  Spaniards,  such 
an  abundant  harvest  as  is  offered  by  this  great  vine- 
yard may  go  to  waste. 

January  15. — Day  dawned  fair.  We  said  Mass 
which  a  number  of  Indians  attended.  Today  I  con- 
tinued writing  the  diary  of  Father  Garces,  but  noth- 
ing else  happened.^ 

January  16. — After  Mass  I  finished  writing  the 
itinerary  of  Father  Garces.    Today  it  began  to  be 

1  This  diary  of  Father  Garces  was  published,  in  English,  by  Elliott 
Coues  in  a  book  entitled  On  the  Trail  of  a  Spanish  Pioneer, 


340     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

rather  hot,  for  the  sun  at  this  season  is  already  very- 
strong,  from  which  I  infer  what  an  intense  heat  it 
will  give  in  the  summer. 

January  17. — Day  dawned  fair.  We  said  Mass. 
In  the  afternoon  a  Yuma  Indian  came  to  gather  up 
our  saddle  animals  and  those  of  the  expedition,  and 
he  brought  the  black  horse  of  Father  Garces  wounded 
in  the  belly.  I  have  not  learned  who  wounded  him. 
The  Yumas  accuse  the  Jalchedunes,  although  I  think 
it  was  the  Yumas,  for  this  horse,  some  others,  and 
some  mules  and  cattle  have  destroyed  the  wheat  of 
the  Yumas  by  eating  it  and  trampling  it  down. 

January  18. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was 
fair.  After  Mass  I  attended  to  various  matters  of 
the  house,  making  some  tables  on  which  to  put  the 
dishes.   Nothing  else  happened. 

January  19. — In  the  morning  it  was  cloudy.  After 
Mass  they  brought  the  wounded  horse  and  an  In- 
dian began  to  blow  on  the  wound,  performing  va- 
rious ceremonies,  such  as  taking  many  handfuls  of 
earth  and  rubbing  it  on  the  swelling  of  the  belly. 
Father  Garces,  as  soon  as  he  learned  of  these  cere- 
monies, ordered  an  interpreter  to  bring  the  horse  so 
that  he  might  give  him  water,  because  he  did  not 
wish  the  Indians  to  continue  doctoring  him.  But  the 
fact  is  that  the  horse  had  a  very  large  swelling 
caused  by  the  wound,  and  that  after  the  Indians 
rubbed  him  and  plied  him  with  the  earth,  and  the 
other  ceremonies,  the  swelling  went  down.  In  the 
afternoon  Captain  Pablo,  who  had  gone  with  Palma 
to  the  Cajuenches,  came  and  told  us  how  well  they 


EIXAECH'S  DIARY  341 

had  received  them  and  how  all  the  Yumas  came 
loaded  with  provisions  which  they  gave  to  them,  a 
certain  proof  that  these  two  tribes  now  are  friends 
and  relatives,  as  they  say. 

January  20. — In  the  morning  it  was  cloudy  but 
not  cold.  Today  only  Father  Garces  said  Mass.  In 
the  afternoon  some  Cocomaricopas  came.  The  father 
gave  them  presents,  and  they  went  away  very  much 
pleased.  At  night  several  old  men  came  and  Father 
Garces  asked  one  of  them  various  questions.  He  said 
that  he  loved  God  much  and  he  would  very  gladly  be 
a  Christian,  but  he  was  very  sad  because  we  were 
going  away,  for  he  did  not  know  when  we  would 
return.  The  good  old  man  told  of  other  things  which 
they  are  urging  upon  the  superiors,  so  that  they  may 
promptly  make  the  necessary  provisions  in  order 
that  this  numerous  heathendom  may  be  saved. 

January  21. — In  the  morning  it  was  cloudy  and 
it  was  seen  that  it  had  rained  some,  although  not 
much.  After  Mass  the  Cocomaricopas  came  to  tell 
us  goodbye,  and  Father  Garces  having  given  them  a 
basket  of  maize,  they  went  away  well  pleased.  In 
the  afternoon  the  Jalchedun  Indians  came  and 
Father  Garces  gave  them  presents  with  which  they 
also  were  very  well  pleased.  This  afternoon  it  began 
to  rain  very  large  drops  but  not  with  much  force, 
and  it  continued  raining  or  misting  nearly  all  day. 
At  night  several  Indians  came,  and  to  all  of  them 
we  taught  various  things,  such  as  that  there  is  one 
God,  how  to  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  etc.,  although 
they  did  not  learn  very  well,  for  only  two  Indians 


342     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

now  know  how  to  sing  the  praises  of  the  Suha,  Suha, 
Subar 

January  22. — In  the  morning  there  was  a  thick 
fog  all  around  the  horizon,  but  after  Mass  was  said 
by  Father  Garces  the  weather  became  fair.  About 
eleven  o^clock  in  the  morning  Palma  came  from  the 
Cajuenches  with  one  of  the  two  interpreters  who  had 
accompanied  him,  the  other  interpreter  remaining 
with  a  sister  of  his  who  was  ill.  At  night  after  the 
Rosary  Palma  told  us  how  two  Cajuenches  spied  on 
him  in  the  morning  in  order  to  kill  him,  but  by  good 
luck  two  of  the  interpreters  saw  and  prevented  them. 
Palma  also  told  us  that  the  Jalchedunes  said  that 
they  wished  to  kill  Father  Garces  and  those  who 
may  go  to  their  country  in  his  company,  now  that 
they  had  seen  that  we  were  unarmed,  adding  other 
ominous  things.  For  this  reason  one  of  the  interpre- 
ters said  that  he  did  not  wish  to  go  with  the  father 
to  the  Jalchedunes,  whither  he  intends  to  set  forth 
very  soon. 

January  23. — Day  dawned  very  foggy,  as  yester- 
day. After  Mass  the  other  interpreter  came  and  said 
that  his  sister  was  very  ill.  Father  Garces  told  him 
to  catch  two  horses  and  next  day  they  would  go  to 
see  her  and  baptize  her.  Afterward,  about  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  many  Indians  came  to  play 
their  game.  In  the  afternoon  it  rained  some.  There 
being  so  many  Indians  here  they  came  into  the  house 
and  annoyed  me  greatly,  for  they  are  very  boorish. 
But  it  is  necessary  to  put  up  with  it  all  and  bear  with 

1  The  Sanctus. 


EIXAECH'S  DIARY  343 

it,  although  every  day  and  at  all  times  they  are  very 
troublesome.  The  worst  of  it  is  that  during  these 
concourses  it  is  impossible  to  say  anything  because 
they  make  such  a  hubbub,  beside  the  fact  that  these 
Yumas  are  very  filthy  and  have  no  shame  whatever. 
Most  of  them  go  about  just  as  they  were  born,  with- 
out the  slightest  covering,  and  others,  although  they 
may  have  a  cotton  blanket  or  a  Moqui^  blanket,  do 
not  cover  themselves  except  from  the  middle  of  the 
body  up.  In  a  word,  they  are  the  most  immodest 
people  I  have  ever  seen,  and  the  reason  is  that  they 
do  not  appreciate  and  do  not  know  what  is  so  nat- 
ural in  mankind  as  modesty. 

January  24. — This  morning  it  was  very  foggy 
again,  but  after  Mass  the  weather  became  fair.  About 
ten  o'clock  came  nine  Apache  or  Yabipay"  Indians, 
as  the  Yumas  call  them.  They  are  friendly  and 
somewhat  interrelated.  Well,  then,  they  came  to 
visit  us,  Palma  and  Captain  Pablo  bringing  them 
between  them.  They  saluted  us  with  great  joy,  and 
Father  Garces  gave  them  presents  of  tobacco,  glass 
beads,  and  some  awls  and  sewing  needles.  The  Ya- 
bipays  or  Apaches  came  dressed  in  deer  skin  and 
well  covered.  They  did  not  wear  moccasins  as  is 
their  custom,  having  left  them  in  the  house  where 
they  stopped.  Father  Garces  and  I  were  very  happy 
to  see  these  people,  who  are  so  noted.  They  are  very 

1  The  Moquis  were  the  people  of  northeastern  Arizona  now  com- 
monly called  Hopis. 

2  The  Yabipay  (Yavapai),  or  Mohave  Apaches,  lived  east  of  the 
Colorado  and  north  of  the  Gila  River.  They  now  live  on  a  reserva- 
tion on  E-io  Verde. 


344     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

white  and  clean,  and  although  poorer  than  the  Yumas 
they  are  very  modest  and  particular.  After  the  giv- 
ing of  presents  we  went  to  eat  and  they  began  to 
sing  and  dance.  After  we  had  eaten  we  showed  them 
the  altar  and  the  ornaments  with  the  painting  of  the 
Virgin,  with  which  they  were  very  much  pleased; 
then  Palma  took  them  to  dine  in  his  house.  Father 
Garces  went  this  afternoon  to  baptize  the  sick  In- 
dian woman  whom  I  mentioned  yesterday.  This 
afternoon,  also,  a  Cajuenche  Indian  came  to  us  to 
take  refuge  here  through  fear  of  his  relatives,  who 
wished  to  kill  him.  We  aided  him,  and  he  says  that 
he  wishes  to  go  to  Mexico  to  become  acquainted  with 
the  Spaniards  and  the  viceroy.  Who  knows  what  he 
will  do  1  He  is  a  boy  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  old. 

January  25. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was 
fair  although  very  windy.  After  Mass  I  went  to  the 
pass  called  La  Concepcion  to  examine  a  site  for 
building  a  house.  I  was  pleased  with  a  very  level 
little  mesa  which  is  almost  at  the  very  top  and  thither 
I  plan  to  move  as  soon  as  it  can  be  done.^  For  this 
purpose  Palma  has  already  given  me  some  logs  which 
he  has  had  cut,  and  this  afternoon  a  servant  will  go 
to  cut  timber  for  the  same  purpose. 

My  reason  for  moving  is  the  insecurity  of  this 
place  during  the  floods  of  the  Colorado  River.  For, 
although  regularly  it  is  not  accustomed  to  rise  very 
much  until  April  and  thereafter,  no  one  is  able  to 

1  The  site  was  evidently  nearly  or  quite  the  same  as  that  of  the 
Yuma  Indian  School.  Near  the  same  spot  the  Mission  of  St. 
Joseph  now  serves  the  descendants  of  the  same  people. 


EIXAECH'S  DIARY  345 

assure  me  that  it  may  not  rise  before  then.  And  in 
a  word,  I  would  rather  take  the  trouble  of  building 
the  house  in  a  safe  place,  since  Commander  Ansa 
did  not  do  so,  than  to  find  myself  in  sudden  peril.  In 
the  afternoon  the  Apaches  or  Yabipays  came,  and  I 
again  showed  them  the  ornaments  and  saints,  with 
which  they  were  much  pleased,  repeating  many 
times  the  word  ^  *  Ajot, ' '  which  means  '  ^  good. ' '  After- 
ward I  went  with  them  to  the  house  of  Palma  and, 
being  there  with  many  other  Indians,  I  talked  with 
them  about  the  king  and  how  much  he  loves  them, 
and  told  them  something  about  God.  To  all  of  this 
they  were  very  attentive,  showing  great  joy.  They 
always  conclude  these  talks  by  arguing  with  me  as 
to  when  we  will  come  to  live  with  them.  I  do  not 
promise  this,  but  I  do  give  them  good  hopes,  telling 
them  that  it  is  necessary  for  Father  Garces  to  go  to 
give  a  report  to  the  viceroy,  after  which  we  will  come. 
January  26. — In  the  morning  it  was  very  windy 
but  the  day  was  fair.  Today  I  did  not  say  Mass  be- 
cause of  the  heavy  wind.  After  breakfast  I  sent  the 
two  interpreters  and  the  cook  to  cut  timber  for  the 
house  which  is  to  be  made.  In  the  afternoon  Father 
Garces  came  and  told  me  that  he  had  baptized  four 
persons,  three  adults  and  one  infant,  all  ill  and  in 
danger  of  death.  We  have  noticed  that  some  old  In- 
dians entertain  the  foolish  notion  that  those  who  are 
baptized  immediately  die,  but  Father  Garces  and  I 
are  disabusing  them  of  their  error,  and  since  the 
proofs  are  so  palpable,  they  are  becoming  convinced, 
although  reason  does  not  enter  into  their  understand- 


346     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

ing.  Likewise,  Father  Garces  has  told  me  that  he 
has  explored  the  sand  dunes  which  lie  to  the  west  of 
the  villages  of  San  Pablo,  where  he  has  seen  a  good- 
sized  and  level  hill  or  mesa  suitable  for  the  found- 
ing of  a  mission,  and  although  it  is  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  river,  yet  in  any  place  where  a 
well  is  dug  water  flows,  and  in  the  neighborhood 
plentiful  pasturage  is  found.  Likewise,  in  the  hills 
near  the  site  of  San  Pablo^  the  house  of  the  father 
could  be  built,  the  houses  of  the  Indians  remaining 
in  the  neighborhood,  to  which  the  floods  do  not  reach. 

January  27. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was 
fine,  and  after  breakfast  the  same  persons  as  yes- 
terday went  to  finish  cutting  the  timber.  This  morn- 
ing Palma  went  with  many  Indians  to  carry  the  cut 
timber  to  the  site  where  the  house  is  to  be  erected. 
I  have  set  out  two  large  ollas  with  beans  and  meat, 
and  I  shall  do  the  same  every  day  while  they  are  per- 
forming this  task.  About  ten  o'clock  two  Yabipays 
came  and  Father  Garces  talked  with  them  for  a  long 
time,  as  is  his  custom.  After  dinner  I  went  to  the 
site  of  the  house  to  see  the  timber  which  they  had 
brought,  and  about  half  past  three  I  returned  and 
set  about  saying  prayers.  Father  Garces  went  to 
Casa  Palma,  where  he  talked  with  the  Apaches  about 
various  things  until  after  vespers. 

January  28. — In  the  morning  it  was  very  cold 
but  quiet.  At  daybreak  I  said  Mass,  which  was  at- 
tended by  the  members  of  the  household  and  by 

1  Four  years  later   a   short-lived  mission  was  founded  at   San 
Pablo. 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  347 

Palma  and  other  Indians.  Soon  afterward  the  Yabi- 
pays  came  and  talked  with  Father  Garces  and 
attended  Mass,  which  this  father  said.  Today  I 
went  with  the  servants  to  begin  the  house.  I  set  up 
all  the  forked  posts  and  the  Indians  brought  me 
many  branches  of  willows  to  enclose  it  and  roof  it. 
Early  in  the  afternoon  I  returned  and  found  that  the 
Apaches  had  already  departed. 

January  29. — ^As  soon  as  the  servants  had  their 
breakfast  I  dispatched  them,  and  afterward  I  went 
to  enclose  the  house.  Today  it  was  half  enclosed, 
and  it  was  entirely  roofed  with  branches  which  the 
Indians  continued  bringing  today.  In  the  afternoon 
I  returned  to  this  place. 

January  30. — Very  early  in  the  morning  I  went 
again  with  the  servants,  and  attended  to  other  tasks 
connected  with  the  house.  This  morning  Palma  dis- 
patched couriers  to  all  the  neighboring  Indians  on 
both  sides  of  the  river  inviting  them  to  come  to  fin- 
ish the  house  and  afterward  hold  a  fiesta,  which  con- 
sists entirely  of  singing  and  dancing  all  night  and 
eating  a  great  quantity  of  atole.  This  afternoon  two 
Jalchedun  boys  arrived  here. 

January  31. — Early  in  the  morning  I  went  to  the 
new  house,  and  with  the  aid  of  the  servants  I  made 
some  partitions  with  logs,  in  order  to  put  in  the  pro- 
visions and  other  things.  Today  a  Jalchedun  came. 
All  these  days  have  been  fair  and  mild,  and  the  river 
has  risen  greatly  from  the  waters  of  the  Gila.  Doubt- 
less the  Colorado  River  is  always  large  or  full  flooded, 


348     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

for  at  this  season  it  receives  much  water  from  the 
Gila  and  later  on  from  the  snows  of  the  sierras 
through  which  it  runs. 

February  1. — This  morning  it  was  so  very  cold 
that  the  water  froze.  After  the  servants  had  eaten 
breakfast  we  went  to  the  house.  About  noon  many 
Indians  came,  and  with  one  journey  to  bring  very 
splendid  green  branches  we  roofed  all  the  house,  and 
there  remained  for  tomorrow  only  to  enclose  it  with 
the  same  kind  of  branches.  With  this  kind  of  cover- 
ing the  roof  is  very  good  and  thick,  and  also  the 
walls.  Likewise  we  plastered  the  two  little  store- 
rooms with  mud  from  the  lagoons.  Palma  came 
dressed  in  the  new  suit  which  the  viceroy  gave  him, 
and  indeed  it  is  only  at  these  gatherings  that  he  is 
accustomed  to  wear  it.  In  the  afternoon  we  returned. 

February  2. — After  Mass  Palma  went  with  his 
men  to  finish  carryings  branches,  to  conclude  the 
building  of  the  house,  but  today  neither  I  nor  the 
servants  went  because  it  is  a  feast  day. 

February  3. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was 
good.  After  breakfast  the  interpreters  and  I  loaded 
two  mules  and  began  to  move  the  things  to  the  new 
house,  and  today  the  Indians  carried  all  the  provi- 
sions. I  with  two  servants  enclosed  half  of  the  house, 
and  two  other  servants  with  two  mules  have  carried 
things  all  day.  In  the  afternoon  I  returned  with 
three  servants,  leaving  one  to  take  care  of  every- 
thing; but  on  the  way  I  met  an  Indian  carrying  my 
bed,  so  I  went  back  and  remained  for  the  night. 


EIXARCH'S  DIARY  349 

February  4. — In  the  morning  I  went  with  the  in- 
tention of  saying  Mass  because  Father  Garces  had 
left  the  vestments,  but  since  the  wine  is  very  scarce, 
because  the  Indian  Sebastian  has  not  returned,  I  did 
not  say  Mass,  but  instead  attended  the  one  said  by 
Father  Garces.  Mass  over,  we  gathered  up  all  the 
things  which  were  left  and  moved  to  the  new  house. 

February  5. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was 
good,  and  we  finished  enclosing  the  entire  house.  It 
is  pretty  good  and  quite  large.  It  contains  one  room 
fourteen  and  a  half  varas  long  with  a  partition  in 
the  middle,  where  there  is  an  altar  better  than  in 
some  churches.  In  the  afternoon  we  swept  the  whole 
house.  The  river  has  gone  down  greatly  during  the 
last  two  days.  From  the  door  of  the  house  one  can 
see  the  water  on  both  sides  of  the  pass,  and  being 
situated  on  the  skirts  of  a  hill  it  has  a  site  as  good 
as  any  one  might  wish  or  could  find  in  the  best  val- 
ley. In  a  word,  it  is  as  good  a  site  as  could  be  desired 
for  the  establishment  of  a  mission. 

February  6. — Day  dawned  fair  but  afterward  the 
weather  became  very  bad,  both  because  of  a  strong 
wind  which  came  up  as  well  as  because  of  the  trou- 
blesome rain  which  continued  from  early  in  the 
evening  until  the  next  day.  And  since  the  roof  of  the 
house  consists  only  of  branches  we  became  a  little 
wet,  although  with  guangoche  blankets  we  were  able 
to  cover  the  most  important  things.  About  vespers 
the  Indian  Sebastian  returned  on  foot  without  any- 
thing,^ for  the  mules  had  been  left  on  the  other  side 

1  On  January  12  he  had  set  out  for  Tubutama  to  get  wine. 


350     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

of  the  river  and  he  had  left  the  things  on  this  side, 
but  soon  he  went  back  with  some  Yumas  and  brought 
them.  Today  they  carried  to  Palma  the  things  which 
Captain  Ansa  left  in  his  charge  until  his  return  from 
Monterey/  Palma  and  Captain  Pablo  have  moved 
their  houses  to  the  foot  of  this  little  hill,  near  this 
house,  and  other  families  have  done  the  same,  so 
that  from  the  daily  assemblage  of  men  and  women 
it  already  looks  like  an  established  pueblo.  Today 
the  river  rose  considerably  although  it  does  not  yet 
overflow  its  banks. 

February  7. — In  the  morning  it  was  raining,  and 
before  noon  so  heavy  a  shower  fell  that  the  water 
ran  through  the  whole  house,  but  by  means  of  a  ditch 
which  was  quickly  made  around  it  the  flooding  was 
stopped.  The  rain  did  not  last  long,  and  after  dinner 
the  sun  began  to  shine  and  the  afternoon  became 
fair.  Afterward  I  went  to  fish  and  caught  a  dozen, 
although  they  were  not  very  large.  When  I  re- 
turned I  set  up  the  altar  and  all  the  house  was  swept, 
for  the  floor  had  become  very  good  and  firm  with 
the  wetting  which  it  got.  Early  in  the  evening  a  very 
stiff  wind  arose  and  continued  all  night.  This  after- 
noon the  servants  made  two  little  rooms  on  opposite 
sides  of  the  house,  one  for  a  chicken  coop  and  the 
other  in  which  to  keep  saddles,  pack-saddles,  etc. 

February  8. — Day  dawned  pleasant  and  fair  but 
very  windy,  although  with  some  difficulty  Father 
Garces  and  I  said  Mass.   Afterward  the  Indian  Se- 

1  That  is,  since  Palma  had  moved  to  La  Concepci6n,  these  goods 
were  moved  to  his  new  domicile. 


EIXAECH'S  DIARY  351 

bastian  and  an  interpreter  went  to  catch  the  saddle 
animals  which  they  are  to  take  on  the  journey  which 
shortly  Father  Garces  will  make  up  the  river  to  see 
and  talk  with  the  tribes  who  live  on  those  banks.  At 
night  I  explained  to  several  Indians  the  mystery  of 
the  unity  of  God  and  other  points  touching  our 
Catholic  religion. 

I  thought  that  by  moving  from  the  other  house 
to  this  one  I  should  not  be  so  much  molested  by  the 
Indians,  but  just  the  contrary  has  happened ;  for  if 
formerly  they  used  to  come  for  a  short  spell  now 
it  is  for  the  whole  day.  I  said  molested  not  because 
they  anger  me,  for  I  love  them  greatly,  but  because 
it  is  necessary  to  have  a  great  quantity  of  tobacco 
and  other  things  to  give  them,  whereas  I  have  very 
little.  I  infer  that  during  the  first  years  after  mis- 
sions are  founded  it  will  be  necessary  for  each  min- 
ister to  have  a  load  of  tobacco  to  give  them,  for  aside 
from  continually  asking  for  it,  they  put  the  tobacco 
in  a  reed  as  thick  as  the  finger,  to  fill  which  a  good 
handful  is  necessary;  and  so  they  smoke,  for  they 
are  not  satisfied  with  a  cigarette. 

February  9. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was 
beautiful,  serene,  and  without  wind,  and  we  said 
Mass  at  sunrise.  Today  came  two  Soyopa  or  Jama- 
jab  Indians,^  as  they  are  also  called,  but  nothing 
happened. 

February  10. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was 
fair  but  somewhat  windy.  After  Mass  several  things 

1  Mohaves,  living  near  The  Needles. 


352     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

were  arranged  for  Father  Garces  to  take  on  the 
journey  which  he  is  to  make  up  the  river.  In  the 
afternoon  came  a  Pima  Indian  who  is  to  set  out  to- 
morrow for  Sonoytac  of  the  Papagos,  and  for  this 
reason  I  wrote  a  letter  to  the  father  guardian  and 
another  to  Father  Fray  Juan  Gorgoll,  minister  of 
El  Ati/  The  Indian  did  not  wish  to  wait  and  spend 
the  night  here,  but  told  me  that  he  would  come  in  the 
morning  and  shout  from  the  other  bank  and  they 
might  take  the  letter  over  to  him.  Who  knows 
whether  he  will  come  or  not?  At  night  several  In- 
dians said  that  tomorrow  the  river  would  rise  greatly. 
I  did  not  believe  them  although  they  said  they  had 
been  informed  of  this  event  by  the  Indians  of  the 
Gila. 

February  11. — Day  dawned  fair.  After  Mass  I 
went  up  to  the  hill  and  found  Palma  and  others 
looking  at  the  river,  and  I  saw  that  since  yesterday 
afternoon  it  had  risen  greatly  in  places  and  was 
overflowing  its  banks  for  more  than  a  hundred  paces. 
The  Indians  say  that  now  the  river  is  beginning  to 
rise  from  the  waters  of  the  Gila,  and  I  do  not  doubt 
it,  for  during  these  last  few  days  it  is  known  to  have 
rained  heavily.  Certainly  this  river  is  wonderful  for 
the  great  amount  of  water  which  it  carries,  and  if 
now  it  causes  respect  or  fear  because  of  its  volume, 
what  will  it  be  later  on,  in  May,  when  it  increases  so 
that,  as  they  say,  the  whole  valley  looks  like  a  sea. 

1  The  Upper  Pimas  lived  on  the  Gila,  Santa  Cruz,  and  Altar 
rivers.  The  Piipagos  lived  between  the  Altar  and  the  Gila  rivers. 
El  Ati  was  then  a  mission  and  is  now  a  town  on  the  Altar  River, 
Sonora.     Father  Gorgoll  later  became  missionary  at  Oquitoa. 


EIXARCH'S  DIARY  353 

About  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  Pima 
Indian  came  and  shouted  from  the  other  bank,  and 
by  a  woman  I  sent  the  two  letters  and  a  little  basket 
of  maize  and  some  jerked  meat.  These  Yuma  In- 
dians are  dextrous  swimmers,  and  the  women  are 
even  better  than  the  men,^  for  they  are  the  ones  who 
cross  the  river  loaded  with  children,  provisions,  and 
other  things.  In  order  not  to  wet  what  they  take 
over  they  put  it  in  a  large  basket  and  go  pushing  it 
along  in  front  of  them.  In  the  afternoon  I  went  to 
the  bank  of  the  river  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  and  caught 
a  large  fish,  the  largest  one  I  have  seen  up  to  now. 
It  must  weight  four  and  one-half  pounds.  Father 
Garces  did  not  start  today  because  he  had  not  fin- 
ished arranging  his  baggage,  but  he  will  set  out 
tomorrow  after  dinner. 

February  12. — At  dawn  I  said  Mass.  After 
breakfast  I  went  up  to  the  hill  and  saw  that  the  river 
has  risen  greatly  and  is  spreading  out  so  that  on 
whichever  side  one  looks  one  sees  water,  and  it 
is  still  rising.  These  waters  all  come  from  the  Gila, 
whose  current  when  we  saw  it  at  Sutaquison^  had 
stopped.  It  is  true  that  water  is  never  lacking  in  that 
river.  Since  its  channel  is  deep  and  very  sandy, 
during  the  dry  season  the  water  sinks  and  so  in  some 
places  it  does  not  run,  but  from  the  volume  which  it 
pours  into  the  Colorado  may  be  inferred  the  great 
amount  of  water  which  the  Gila  collects  in  this 
season. 

1  Anza  and  Font  give  graphic  accounts  of  the  feats  performed 
by  these  Yuma  swimmers. 

2  A  Pima  town  on  the  Gila  River  west  of  Casa  Grande. 


354     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

I  cannot  leave  in  silence  the  great  error  enter- 
tained by  those  who  are  ignorant  of  the  course  of 
the  Gila  Eiver  before  it  joins  the  Colorado.  This 
error  is  that  the  waters  which  have  the  name  of  Gila 
usurp  it  from  the  large  Eio  de  la  Assumpcion  and 
from  another  called  the  Verde.'  For  the  Gila  joins 
these  others  between  the  Gilenos  and  Opas,  and  the 
Assumpcion  especially  is  larger  in  volume  than  the 
Gila,  as  is  seen  in  the  summer  and  in  the  dry  season, 
according  to  the  opinion  of  experienced  men  such  as 
Father  Garces  and  the  Indians.  Nevertheless,  in 
time  of  the  floods  the  Gila  is  very  large,  so  that  it 
competes  with  the  Colorado  when  the  latter  is  low. 
But  when  the  snows  of  the  sierra  begin  to  melt  they 
say  there  is  no  other  river  here.  The  Gila  rises  so 
high  on  account  of  the  extensive  mountainous  coun- 
try through  which  it  passes  between  here  and  its 
source,  but  the  waters  are  adulterated  as  soon  as 
they  reach  the  valleys,  on  account  of  the  great 
amount  of  salt.  The  waters  of  the  Colorado  are  very 
fresh,  and  according  to  what  I  have  experienced  in 
the  short  time  that  I  have  used  them,  they  are  very 
healthful,  although  they  may  be  slightly  salty  as  the 
result  of  communication  with  the  Gila,  the  Salado, 
etc.  Father  Garces  did  not  start  today  because  he 
lacked  some  mounts. 

February  13. — Day  dawned  fair.  We  said  Mass, 
and  soon  afterward  one  of  the  servants  came  to 
watch  the  animals  which  Father  Garces  is  to  take, 

1  Rio  de  la  Assumpcion  is  now  the  Salt  River.     The  Verde  River 
still  is  so-called. 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  355 

the  Indian  Sebastian  and  two  interpreters  assisting. 
As  soon  as  it  was  daylight  two  of  the  watchers  went 
to  seek  a  missing  mule  which  was  tethered  to  an- 
other animal.  Who  knows  whether  they  will  find  it 
or  not?  In  the  afternoon  they  found  the  tethered 
mule  alone. 

February  14. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was 
fair.  After  Mass  they  brought  the  animals,  and  after 
dinner  Father  Garces  set  out  in  the  company  of  the 
Indian  Sebastian  and  two  interpreters.^  He  intends 
to  go  to  visit  the  Jamaja,  Yabapay,  the  Cornius, 
Chemegue  and  other  tribes  who  dwell  upstream  and 
in  the  mountains."  About  noon,  and  before  the  father 
started,  several  Jalchedun  Indians  and  some  Coco- 
maricopas  from  the  Gila  River  arrived  with  the 
governor  and  the  alcalde  of  San  Bernardino.  They 
came  to  visit  us  and  brought  us  a  report  that  many 
Spaniards  were  coming,  and  of  other  matters  which 
I  do  not  mention  to  avoid  being  wearisome  and  be- 
cause they  may  be  lies. 

They  were  talking  with  the  father  when  Palma 
came  into  view  dressed  as  a  justice,  carrying  a  cane, 
and  delivered  a  very  long  harangue,  informing  all 
his  hearers,  relatives  and  strangers,  that  peace  had 
now  been  made  with  all  the  tribes  formerly  hostile, 

1  Father  Garces  was  now  setting  out  on  the  remarkable  journey 
which  took  him  across  the  Mojave  Desert  to  San  Gabriel,  into  the 
San  Joaquin  Eiver  Valley,  back  across  the  Mojave  Desert,  eastward 
to  the  Moquis,  and  back  to  the  Yuma  junction.  See  Elliott  Coues, 
On  the  Trail  of  a  Spanish  Pioneer. 

2  The  Chemegues  were  Paiutes.  The  Cornius  were  evidently  the 
Cosninas. 


356     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

that  is  to  say,  the  Jalchedunes,  Jatapana,  Yabipay, 
Cajuenche,  Jaliquamay,  Cucapa,  etc.,  because  the 
king  who  ruled  the  Spaniards  had  given  him  the 
cane  in  order  that  now  he  might  not  fight  with  any- 
body, and  other  similar  things,  giving  various  dem- 
onstrations of  how  much  he  esteems  the  king,  the 
Spaniards,  and  the  fathers.  After  finishing  his  ser- 
mon he  embraced  one  of  the  Cocomaricopas  and  the 
two  wept  for  a  spell  because,  says  Palma,  he  is  a 
very  near  relative,  but  since  that  tribe  and  the  Yumas 
have  always  been  enemies  he  had  never  seen  him 
before,  and  so  he  was  weeping  for  joy.  I  have  no- 
ticed that  all  these  Indians  when  they  get  through 
talking  salute  each  other  many  times. 

The  harangue  over,  they  went  to  eat  at  the  house 
of  Palma,  who  had  already  prepared  a  great  amount 
of  atole,  since  this  is  their  best  dish.  After  they 
had  emptied  the  pots  at  Casa  Palma,  other  old  men 
took  them  to  eat  at  their  houses,  and  so  they  spent 
the  entire  afternoon.  After  vespers  Palma  came,  as 
he  always  does,  bringing  the  strangers,  and  after 
saying  the  Rosary  and  singing  the  praises,  in  which 
the  Yumas  now  join,  we  talked  for  a  while.  Then 
Palma  took  all  of  them  except  the  governor,  who  re- 
mained here  to  sleep,  to  the  house  of  an  old  man, 
where  daylight  found  them  talking  and  singing,  as 
is  always  the  case  when  strangers  come. 

February  15. — At  daybreak  I  said  Mass,  and 
afterward  the  Indian  Sebastian  came  to  breakfast 
because  the  animals  which  they  took  yesterday  came 
back  and  he  came  to  find  them.  As  a  matter  of  fact. 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  357 

it  was  not  necessary  for  him  to  come  clear  here,  but 
since  this  Indian  is  evil  he  came  to  a  house  where  I 
happened  to  be  and  told  me  that  he  was  coming  to 
eat  a  bite.  I  told  him  to  come  to  this  house,  where 
there  was  something  to  eat.  He  came,  and  the  boy 
told  me  that  he  had  drunk  from  a  bottle.  I  came  and 
he  immediately  hit  the  road.  I  note  this  down  because 
this  Indian  is  an  unregenerate  rogue,  without  shame, 
and  nothing  can  be  trusted  in  his  hands.^ 

After  dinner  the  Cocomaricopas  came  to  say 
goodbye  and  I  made  them  a  present  of  tobacco, 
maize,  and  beans  for  seed,  whereupon  they  departed 
very  well  content.  In  the  afternoon  the  Indians 
brought  me  a  large  number  of  fish,  but  I  took  only 
a  few.  The  Indians  are  now  beginning  to  fish  in  the 
lagoons,  and  with  their  nets  and  other  contrivances 
which  look  like  cages  they  catch  a  great  many.  I 
have  seen  them  catch  and  take  out  more  than  three 
arrobas  in  less  than  two  hours,  but  the  fish  are  only 
moderately  good,  being  full  of  bones,  as  I  have  said 
before. 

February  16. — I  did  not  say  Mass.  After  break- 
fast the  servants  made  a  reata  to  catch  a  bull  which 
wounded  the  cook  yesterday,  and  after  dinner  they 
set  forth  on  a  horse  and  a  mule.  In  the  afternoon 
eleven  Indians  of  the  Jama  jab  tribe  came.  I  gave 
them  tobacco,  and  the  Yumas  took  them  to  their 
houses  to  eat  as  they  always  do  with  all  who  come, 
from  whatever  tribe  they  may  be.  I  showed  them  the 

1  After  all  that  Sebastian  had  done  and  did  for  Anza,  Garc^s, 
and  Eixarch,  one  can  not  help  feeling  that  this  criticism  is  a  little 
harsh  and  ungrateful. 


358     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

images  which  I  have  on  the  altar  and  the  ornaments 
for  celebrating  Mass.  They  admired  them  greatly 
and  said  they  were  good.  This  tribe  was  formerly 
one  of  those  most  hostile  to  the  Yumas,  but  today  it 
is  friendly,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  this  friendship 
will  continue  between  these  two  populous  tribes,  and 
if  prompt  measures  are  taken  by  the  superiors  I 
may  say  the  same  of  the  rest,  but  otherwise  they  are 
certain  to  return  to  their  ancient  hatreds  and  hos- 
tilities. 

February  17. — At  daybreak  I  said  Mass,  and 
afterward  made  some  things  needed  in  the  house. 
About  nine  o^clock  in  the  morning  one  of  the  two 
servants  who  yesterday  went  to  kill  the  bull  came 
and  told  me  that  the  other  one  had  remained  away 
hunting  him,  he  himself  having  returned  because  the 
mule  had  not  wished  to  travel.  I  suppose  that  this  is 
one  of  the  interpreters,  who  are  of  no  use  except  to 
eat,  for  all  three  of  them  are  very  short  in  their 
Spanish,  and  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  understand 
what  they  translate  no  matter  how  many  signs  they 
make.  The  other  is  the  young  cook,  and  if  it  were  not 
for  him  not  a  one  of  the  six  beeves  left  by  Com- 
mander Ansa  would  have  been  caught,  nor  would 
we  have  had  anybody  to  serve  us  here  or  give  us  a 
bite  to  eat.  I  have  already  said  in  another  place  that 
this  boy  remained  here  by  accident,  from  which  may 
be  inferred  the  provisions  made  for  us  by  Com- 
mander Ansa.  If  the  Yumas  were  poor  we  should 
have  suffered  hardships,  but  thank  God  the  Indians 
supply  the  shortcomings  of  the  Spaniards.  I  do  not 


EIXAECH'S  DIARY  359 

say  this  on  my  own  account,  for  I  am  poor,  and  we 
poor  must  be  patient  and  happy  in  penury  or  abun- 
dance, but  I  speak  for  the  servants  and  their  mess- 
mates. After  sunset  the  cook  came  and  said  that  he 
was  not  able  to  find  the  bull  because  the  brush  was 
so  thick. 

February  18. — At  sunrise  I  said  Mass,  although 
with  some  difficulty  because  it  was  so  windy.  After 
breakfast  the  cook  set  forth  again  to  hunt  for  the 
bull,  but  in  the  afternoon  he  returned  without  finding 
him.  It  has  been  windy  all  day.  They  told  me  that 
one  of  the  worn-out  horses  was  going  about  with  an 
arrow  in  its  flesh.  I  told  Palma  about  it  and  he  made 
a  long  harangue  to  the  Indians,  reprimanding  them 
for  wounding  a  horse  of  the  Spaniards,  from  which 
can  be  inferred  the  great  affection  which  this  In- 
dian Palma  has  for  us. 

February  19. — Day  dawned  fair  although  it  was 
very  windy.  Since  I  have  been  on  this  river  I  have 
noticed  that  when  the  wind  begins  to  blow  it  usually 
lasts  three  or  four  days.  At  daybreak  I  said  Mass. 

February  20. — This  morning  the  weather  was 
fair.  I  did  not  say  Mass  because  I  had  spent  a  hor- 
rible night  on  account  of  the  troublesome  flux  from 
which  I  suffered.   Nothing  else  happened. 

February  21. — This  being  Ash  Wednesday  I  ex- 
plained to  Palma  and  other  Indians  what  a  favor  the 
Church  grants  us  with  such  a  ceremony  as  it  orders 
for  this  day.  All  the  few  Indians  and  servants  who 
attended  the  Mass  which  I  said  in  the  morning  re- 
ceived ashes  on  their  heads.    Palma  told  me  that 


360     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

these  things  pleased  him  greatly.  This  Indian  Palma 
is  very  much  attached  to  the  things  of  the  church. 
Indeed,  in  the  past  year  of  1775  he  was  at  Ciene- 
guilla  and  San  Miguel/  and  while  there  never  missed 
a  single  Mass  or  sermon  or  Eosary,  just  the  same  as 
now.  It  will  be  a  pity  if  this  Indian  is  not  baptized. 

February  22. — The  weather  was  fair  this  morn- 
ing, and  although  it  was  very  windy  I  said  Mass  at 
sunrise.   Nothing  else  happened. 

Februaiy  23. — This  morning  it  was  cloudy  and 
I  said  Mass  at  sunrise.  The  heat  is  now  beginning 
to  be  felt.  I  have  noticed  that  the  water  becomes 
hot  in  the  house,  but  that  of  the  river  is  very  cool. 
The  Indians  say  that  it  is  always  cool  even  though 
the  weather  may  be  very  hot,  from  which  I  infer  that 
most  of  the  water  of  this  large  volumed  river  must 
come  from  the  melting  of  the  snow,  and  that  for  this 
reason  its  floods  come  during  the  hot  weather.  In 
the  afternoon  we  said  the  stations  of  the  Via  Sacra,^ 
several  Indians  taking  part.  At  night  one  of  the 
interpreters,  the  one  whom  I  mention  in  the  entry 
for  January  23,  came  from  a  visit  to  his  sister,  tell- 
ing me  that  she  had  died  day  before  yesterday,  she 
being  one  of  the  four  baptized  by  Father  Garces  on 
January  26.  This  interpreter  also  told  me  that  the 
Indians  had  buried  the  body  of  the  deceased  woman. 
I  say  buried  because  the  Yumas  bum  their  dead, 
interring  only  those  who  are  baptized. 

1  Cieneguilla  and  San  Miguel  de  Horcasitas  were  and  are  towns 
in  Sonora. 

2  The  Stations  of  the  Cross. 


EIXARCH'S  DIARY  361 

February  24. — I  said  Mass  at  sunrise.  In  the 
afternoon  the  Indians  brought  me  about  an  arroba 
of  fish  from  the  lagoons.  In  return  I  gave  them 
tobacco  and  they  were  very  well  satisfied. 

February  25. — Day  dawned  fair,  and  at  sunrise 
I  said  Mass.  In  the  afternoon  Palma  went  and 
strongly  urged  Captain  Pablo  to  assist  me  liberally. 
I  have  noticed  that  Palma  takes  no  stock  in  this 
Pablo,  and  is  going  about  looking  for  another  who 
may  be  a  better  officer.  I  have  learned  this  through 
the  interpreter  to  whom  Palma  has  expressed  him- 
self. This  Indian  Palma  says  that  Pablo  is  not 
good  for  a  captain  because  he  does  not  do  the  things 
which  the  fathers  advise.  And  this  is  a  fact,  for 
it  is  a  long  time  since  I  have  seen  this  Pablo  either 
at  Mass  or  at  the  Rosary.  In  short,  I  have  noticed 
that  he  does  not  believe  the  doctrine  which  is  taught 
them,  whereas  in  truth  Palma  practices  it  to  the 
best  of  his  ability. 

It  is  so  common  a  practice  among  the  Yumas 
to  consort  with  many  women  that  there  is  no  youth 
who  does  not  have  as  many  as  he  wants,  for,  as  I 
said  in  another  place,  these  people  are  the  most 
immodest  of  all  that  I  have  seen,  going  about  totally 
naked.  I  am  speaking  of  the  men,  for  the  women 
now  cover  themselves.  But  this  Pablo  is  still  like 
all  the  rest  with  regard  to  wives,  a  matter  so  con- 
trary to  natural  reason  that  there  is  no  nation  to 
which  it  is  not  repugnant.  Palma  is  proud  of  him- 
self, saying  that  it  is  true  that  he  used  to  have  many 


362     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

wives,  but  that  since  they  gave  him  the  cane  he  has 
put  them  away ;  and  now  he  has  and  lives  with  only 
one,  by  whom  he  has  six  children,  as  I  have  already 
stated  in  another  place. 

February  26. — Day  dawned  fair,  and  at  daybreak 
I  said  Mass.  Today  Pablo  came  to  ask  permission  to 
go  to  see  the  Jamajabs.  In  the  night  some  boys, 
those  who  spread  the  news,  came  and  told  me  that 
a  woman  had  given  birth  to  two  little  girls.  I  went 
to  see  if  any  of  them  were  in  danger  of  death,  but  I 
found  them  all  right  and  their  mother  sitting  up 
making  two  little  cradles,  although  the  infants  were 
so  recently  born. 

February  27. — This  morning  the  weather  was 
fair.  I  did  not  say  Mass.  This  morning  Pablo 
started,  and  soon  afterward  some  Jamajabs  came  to 
visit  me.  In  the  afternoon  an  Indian  brought  me  a 
large  fish. 

February  28. — This  morning  the  weather  was 
fair.  I  did  not  say  Mass.  In  the  afternoon  Pablo  re- 
turned from  his  journey.  There  is  nothing  else  to 
record. 

February  29. — At  sunrise  I  said  Mass.  Now  the 
heat  is  so  great  in  the  daytime  that  one  can  not  re- 
main in  the  sun.  I  may  also  note  that  this  country  is 
very  much  plagued  with  rats,  and  with  bats  and 
other  vermin.  The  first,  especially,  do  me  a  great 
deal  of  damage,  and  since  the  house  is  situated  on 
the  hill  they  have  it  all  undermined,  stealing  and 
eating  everything  that  is  in  it.   For  this  reason  the 


EIXAECH'S  DIAEY  363 

ministers  who  may  come  to  found  these  missions, 
which  I  hope  will  be  established  soon,  must  try  to 
bring  some  cats  if  they  do  not  wish  to  experience  the 
molestation  and  damage  which  necessarily  will  be 
caused  them  by  such  outlandish  little  beasts.  In  the 
afternoon  some  Jamajabs  came  and  I  regaled  them 
with  tobacco. 

March  1. — At  daybreak  I  said  Mass.  In  the  after- 
noon we  said  the  stations,  at  which  many  Indian  men 
and  women  were  present.  Afterward  they  said  that 
the  Jalchedunes  had  stolen  seven  horses  from  the 
Yumas  and  that  for  this  reason  the  latter  were  very 
angry.  They  told  me  that  they  were  good  but  that 
the  Jalchedunes  were  enemies,  and  that  they  would 
go  to  fight  them  as  soon  as  we  should  leave.  I  tried 
to  dissuade  them  from  their  purpose,  but  since  these 
Indians  think  so  highly  of  a  horse  I  know  what  they 
will  do  the  minute  we  leave  here. 

March  2. — Day  dawned  fair.  I  did  not  say  Mass. 
Yesterday  I  noticed  that  the  river  was  beginning 
to  rise.  In  the  afternoon  came  five  Apaches,  or  Ja- 
bapays,  as  the  Indians  call  them.  I  gave  them  to- 
bacco and  glass  beads  and  they  went  away  satisfied, 
the  old  Yumas  taking  them  to  their  houses  to  eat. 

March  3. — Day  dawned  fair  but  it  was  so  windy 
that  I  could  not  go  out  of  the  house.  Last  night  the 
wind  was  so  violent  that  I  was  afraid  the  house 
would  fall,  but  nothing  happened.  The  winds  in  this 
place  are  so  strong,  according  to  what  I  have  ob- 
served, that  if  missions  are  founded  they  will  not  be 


364     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

able  to  build  very  high  houses.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  heat  is  excessive,  consequently  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  take  prudent  means.  At  sunrise  I  said  Mass. 
After  dinner  the  Apaches  came  and  I  showed  them 
the  vestments  for  celebrating  Mass  and  likewise  the 
images  which  I  have,  and  they  were  much  pleased 
with  them.  Tomorrow,  God  willing,  I  shall  set  out 
for  the  presidio  of  Altar,  in  company  with  Captain 
Pablo,  directing  my  route  by  way  of  the  Papagos, 
who  now  are  friendly  with  the  Spaniards. 

March  4. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was  fair. 
I  did  not  say  Mass.  Early  in  the  morning  Pablo  and 
some  old  men  made  a  raft  of  poles  like  a  crate,  and 
after  dinner,  sitting  on  top,  I  was  taken  across  the 
river  by  six  Indians  swimming  and  steering  the  raft. 
It  must  have  been  about  noon  when  in  company  with 
Pablo  I  took  the  road  for  my  journey.  Before  sun- 
set I  halted  to  rest  a  while  and  that  the  animals 
might  eat.  At  ten  o'clock  at  night  I  again  set  out 
and  traveled  the  rest  of  the  night  until  daybreak, 
when  I  halted  for  a  short  while,  to  make  a  fire  and 
warm  myself,  for  it  was  very  cold. 

March  5. — Before  sunrise  I  mounted  the  horse, 
and  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  came  to  a 
very  pretty  sierra  of  rocks  which  they  call  Tinajas 
de  la  Candelaria.^    This  watering  place  is  not  per- 

1  Father  Eixarch's  route  practically  reversed  that  followed  by 
Anza  from  Caborca  on  his  first  journey.  He  evidently  went  through 
Tinajas  Altas  Pass.  Tinajas  de  la  Candelaria  were  the  Cabeza 
Prieta  Tanks.  The  rough  Sierra  reached  on  the  6th  was  evidently 
Sierra  Pinta,  and  one  of  the  tanks  visited  was  evidently  Heart 
Tank   (Anza's  Aguaje  Empinado). 


EIX ARCH'S  DIARY  365 

manent  because  it  is  not  a  spring,  but  it  is  in  a  very 
good  rock  which  in  the  rainy  season  collects  the 
water  shed  by  the  other  rocks  higher  up,  and  since 
it  is  concave  they  call  it  La  Tinaja.  As  soon  as  I 
arrived  at  this  place  I  watered  my  horse  and  the 
one  ridden  by  the  Indian,  using  a  gourd  which  by 
good  fortune  we  had  in  the  saddle-bags.  Afterward 
we  had  a  bite  and  then  went  to  look  for  grass.  We 
soon  found  a  little  and  halted  to  rest  and  to  sleep 
until  midnight  when,  God  willing,  I  plan  to  set  forth. 
From  the  Colorado  River  to  this  place  there  is  no 
water  and  the  grass  is  scarce  and  bad.  In  fact  it  is 
one  of  the  most  arid  strips  of  the  country  that  I  have 
ever  seen. 

March  6. — It  must  have  been  about  midnight 
when  I  aroused  Pablo.  At  this  time  we  saddled  the 
horses  and  started.  At  daybreak  we  came  to  a  very 
rough  sierra,  which  has  three  or  four  water  holes  in 
a  canyon,  though  I  only  saw  two.  Here  our  horses 
drank  at  their  pleasure,  but  to  ascend  costs  a  great 
deal  of  labor  because  of  the  great  many  stones.  We 
descended  on  foot  and  took  the  road.  After  going 
about  a  league  and  a  half  we  found  plentiful  grass, 
although  it  was  bad,  in  a  little  valley,  and  here  we 
halted  to  let  the  horses  feed  and  rest  for  a  while. 
About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  mounted 
again  and  at  half  past  four  we  came  to  another 
sierra  which  has  a  tank.  We  took  the  horses  up  as 
far  as  we  could.  Here  there  was  a  rock  like  a  font, 
and  the  Indian  took  the  two  gourds  which  we  had 
with  us  and  four  times  brought  down  water  from 


366     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

the  tank.  This  took  an  hour  because  the  ascent  and 
descent  were  very  difficult.  Afterward  we  again 
mounted  and  traveled  until  eight  o'clock,  when  we 
found  grass,  making  it  possible  for  the  horses  to  eat 
their  supper. 

March  7. — At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  I 
mounted  my  horse  and  traveled  until  ten,  when  I 
halted  in  order  that  the  horses  might  eat.  Then, 
about  noon,  I  again  mounted  and  traveled  to  the 
watering  place  of  El  CarrizaP  where  I  arrived  at 
two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  here  I  stopped  to 
sleep.  This  is  an  arroyo  which  at  present  is  running. 
The  water  is  very  salty,  but  since  there  is  no  other  it 
is  necessary  to  drink  it.  All  this  place  is  covered  with 
a  foamy  salt  or  salitre  which  is  as  white  as  snow. 
There  is  also  a  great  deal  of  reed  grass,  and  for  this 
reason  the  place  is  called  El  Carrizalito. 

March  8. — About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  I 
mounted  my  horse  and  at  eight  o'clock  arrived  at 
Sonoytac  of  the  Papagos,  where  I  rested,  and  after 
noon  I  again  mounted  my  horse,  Pablo  leaving  his 
horse  here  for  the  return.  Before  sunset  I  halted  on 
a  hill  which  has  plentiful  grass,  and  here  I  remained 
to  sleep  until  one  o'clock  at  night. 

March  9. — At  this  hour  I  mounted  my  horse  and 
a  little  after  sunrise  came  to  San  Luis  de  Quitobac, 
a  village  of  Papagos.  I  may  note  that  I  have  trav- 
eled all  the  way  very  slowly  because  the  Indian's 

1  El  Carrizal  was  at  Agua  Salada  on  Son6ita  Eiver.  Son6ita 
and  Quitobae,  passed  on  the  8th  and  9th,  are  places  in  Sonora  still 
bearing  the  same  names. 


EIXARCH'S  DIARY  367 

horse  was  poor,  and  since  yesterday  Pablo  is  going 
on  foot  until  we  arrive  at  El  Altar,  God  willing.  At 
this  village  an  Indian  woman  brought  a  little  parched 
wheat  for  me  to  eat,  but  considering  her  great  pov- 
erty I  did  not  wish  to  accept  it,  and  told  her  to  eat 
it  herself.  Here  I  rested  until  one  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  At  that  hour  I  set  forth  and  traveled 
three  and  one-half  leagues,  when  I  came  to  a  very 
scanty  watering  place.  It  is  a  well  from  which  the 
animals  are  not  able  to  drink,  and  for  this  reason  it 
is  necessary  to  carry  some  kind  of  a  corita  in  order 
that  they  may  have  water.  I  rested  for  a  short  time 
while  I  was  eating  pinole  for  refreshment,  then  I 
again  mounted  and  traveled  until  after  sunset  be- 
cause I  did  not  find  any  grass.  Coming  at  that  time 
to  a  place  where  I  saw  a  few  spears  of  grass  in  a 
small,  dry  arroyo,  I  stopped  here  to  sleep  and  rest. 
March  10. — About  one  in  the  morning  I  set  out 
from  this  place.  Before  daylight  the  Indian,  my 
companion,  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  road  be- 
cause of  a  noise  which  he  heard.  I  was  a  little  fright- 
ened, especially  when  we  saw  three  horses  near  by, 
one  hobbled  and  two  loose.  This  fear  was  well 
justified,  for  the  barbarian  Apaches  are  in  the  habit 
of  visiting  this  region,  but  we  passed  by  without 
anything  happening.  Soon  afterward  it  was  day- 
break, and  since  the  day  before  the  Indian  had  shown 
me  from  a  high  place  the  sierras  of  Caborca,  about 
seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  said  to  him  that  I 
would  go  on  ahead  in  order  to  get  there  for  dinner 
with  the  fathers  of  Caborca,  for  I  was  in  great  need. 


368     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

I  set  forth,  and  since  the  Indian  was  on  foot  he  fell 
far  behind. 

At  ten  0  'clock  in  the  morning  I  came  to  an  arroyo 
which  was  not  running  but  had  several  wells.  Here 
I  watered  the  horse  and  continued  on  my  way  with- 
out filling  the  gourd  which  I  was  carrying,  feeling 
sure  that  I  should  reach  Caborca  very  early.  I  came 
to  two  roads  and  taking  the  one  most  beaten  and  the 
widest  I  made  a  mistake,  for  it  was  the  road  leading 
to  Busanig,^  pueblo  de  visita  of  the  mission  of  Ca- 
borca. I  traveled  without  stopping  until  five  o  'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  when  I  found  some  grass  and  un- 
saddled the  horse,  because  he  was  tired,  thinking  to 
stop  here  for  the  night.  I  arranged  the  baggage,  and 
leaving  the  horse  tied  I  went  to  look  for  firewood, 
but  could  not  find  any  near  by,  so  I  again  saddled 
the  horse  and  continued  on  my  way.  After  going  a 
short  distance  I  found  some  pools  of  water,  or  rather 
of  mud,  where  the  horse  drank  and  I  also,  for  I 
was  in  great  need,  as  I  had  not  taken  any  nourish- 
ment during  the  whole  day.  I  again  mounted,  when 
I  descried  a  league  away  a  building  which  looked 
white.  I  reached  it  before  sunset  and  it  proved  to  be 
the  pueblo  of  Busanig.  Here  they  told  me  of  various 
happenings,  that  Father  Carrasco  had  died,  and 
other  things.  In  short,  I  stopped  here  for  the  night. 

March  11. — Early  in  the  morning  I  went  on  to 
Caborca,  where  I  remained  for  a  day,  and  then  I 

I  Busanic  (BIsani)  was  and  is  on  the  Altar  Eiver  some  twenty 
miles  below  Caborca.  Formerly  there  had  been  another  Busanic  above 
Saric. 


J/^  ■  ^<^  •  pir^  .^v^^-^*  ,^-  JSfyd*^*^.^^  ,.-uuu?  ./o^^  A^.%»£*  ^^<^^  O^^ 

4t*4^  C^rrtA— Jt^"-**^    r'^***^  ^•^•vfe  ^j^iu,r*»  i^  ^£^  JLU^^^f^^i^n*  .    ' 


^      • ■   ^/^  ^  «4»  A«/4;-  *—m^i/  ,»^*»A  */ jf4t^mm4k/»»  tv^ii^M,^,Y  -^t^mmJ  ^/}y^  .  ' 


Page  of  baptismal  record  of  Oquitoa  mission,  showing 
Father  Eixarch's  signatures. 


EIXAECH'S  DIAEY  369 

went  to  visit  the  fathers  of  Oquitoa,  Ati,  and  Tubu- 
tama/  remaining  with  them  until  the  last  of  the 
present  month.  Afterward  I  went  with  Father  Espi- 
nosa  and  with  him  celebrated  Holy  Week.  On  Easter 
Sunday  I  went  to  Caborca  to  dine,  and  from  there  I 
set  out  to  return  to  the  Colorado  River  the  last  day 
of  Easter  time,  the  9th  of  April.  On  the  way  from 
Caborca  to  the  Colorado  River  I  spent  seven  days, 
experiencing  some  hardships  on  the  road.  Now  I 
will  go  on  noting  daily  whatever  may  occur.^ 

April  15. — I  arrived  at  the  bank  of  the  river  be- 
fore sunset  and  at  once  the  Indians  came  and  took 
me  over  on  a  raft.  As  soon  as  I  entered  the  house 
it  filled  up  with  men,  women,  and  children,  who  mani- 
fested the  great  joy  which  they  felt  at  my  return.  I 
regaled  them  with  tobacco  and  a  little  chumite,  and 
sent  them  away  for  the  night. 

April  16. — Because  the  altar  was  not  arranged 
and  I  was  tired  from  yesterday's  long  journey,  I  did 
not  say  Mass.  After  breakfast  I  went  to  the  house 
of  an  Indian  to  see  a  little  boy  who  was  very  ill,  and 
in  order  that  he  might  not  die  without  holy  baptism, 
because  the  Indians  never  give  notice,  I  baptized 
him  and  called  him  Ygnacio.  I  may  note  that  this 
was  a  baptism  in  case  of  necessity. 

April  17. — At  daybreak  I  said  Mass,  which  was 
attended  by  some  Indian  men  and  women,  together 

1  Places  on  the  Altar  Eiver  above  Caborca. 

2  The  inference  is  that  Father  Eixarch  returned  by  the  same  route 
by  which  he  had  gone  to  Sonora. 


370     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

with  Captain  Palma,  and  these  heathen  manifested 
the  great  pleasure  which  they  felt  at  my  return,  for 
they  were  already  wondering  at  the  lack  of  this  di- 
vine sacrifice.  I  have  no  doubt  that  those  who  gladly 
attend  Mass  have  stronger  aids  than  the  ordinary 
ones,  and  so  I  say  that  I  am  not  surprised  that  the 
heathen  feel  this  lack;  for  although  they  are  rude 
they  already  know  that  the  Mass  is  a  very  good 
thing.  After  Mass  the  Indian  women  brought  me 
some  wheat,  maize,  and  beans,  because  yesterday  I 
told  them  that  I  was  nearly  out.  This  kindness  can 
not  be  repaid,  for  such  care  is  not  shown  even  by 
children  toward  their  parents.  In  return  I  made 
them  presents  of  some  little  things.  At  noon  they 
brought  me  from  the  other  side  of  the  river  the  two 
horses  which  I  left  there  day  before  yesterday  when 
I  returned  from  my  journey. 

April  18. — I  said  Mass  at  sunrise.  Afterward  I 
sent  the  cook  to  kill  a  beef  if  he  could,  but  he  was 
not  able  to  do  so.  Today  there  has  been  a  strong 
wind,  and  the  worst  of  it  is  that  now  at  nightfall  it 
is  getting  fiercer. 

April  19. — I  arose  after  sunrise  very  cold.  The 
wind  of  yesterday  has  continued  and  still  continues 
very  strong,  and  for  this  reason  I  have  not  said 
Mass  today,  for  the  house  is  very  poorly  sheltered 
and  the  wind  blows  strongly  in  all  parts  of  it.  This 
morning  the  little  boy  whom  I  baptized  on  the  16th 
died.  It  is  so  cold  today  that  I  have  gone  outside  of 
the  house  to  get  the  sun. 


EIXAECH'S  DIARY  371 

About  noon  came  four  Jalchedunes,  two  men  and 
two  women,  and  I  gave  them  tobacco  and  glass 
beads.  Afterward  they  went  away,  the  Yumas  tak- 
ing them  with  them.  The  interpreter  told  me  that 
they  wished  to  kill  them,  so  I  mounted  a  horse  and 
went  with  the  interpreter  to  seek  them.  At  a  dis- 
tance of  a  league  and  a  half  from  this  house  I  found 
a  crowd  of  Yumas  who  must  have  numbered  about 
a  hundred.  There  the  old  men  were  haranguing  the 
rest,  and  they  had  the  Jalchedunes  in  their  midst, 
having  already  taken  away  their  bows.  I  appeared 
on  the  scene  and  pretended  to  be  very  angry.  Call- 
ing the  old  headman  of  the  Yumas  I  asked  him 
what  was  the  matter,  and  why  they  wished  to  injure 
the  Jalchedunes?  He  replied  that  they  would  not 
hurt  them,  for  although  other  Jalchedunes  had  stolen 
eight  horses  from  the  Yumas,  the  father  and  the 
Spaniards  did  not  wish  them  to  fight,  etc.  I  did 
not  have  much  confidence  in  this  old  man,  so  I  took 
the  four  Jalchedunes  to  my  house  where  I  gave  them 
food  and  told  them  not  to  be  afraid,  because  I  loved 
them  greatly,  and  now  the  Yumas  would  not  injure 
them.  Thereupon  the  Yumas  took  them  with  them 
to  eat  and  sleep  in  their  houses.  Nothing  else  hap- 
pened. 

April  20. — At  sunrise  I  said  Mass.  In  the  morn- 
ing the  weather  was  good.  The  river  is  now  for- 
midable. It  greatly  overflows  its  channel  and  is 
forming  the  many  and  large  lakes  which  it  usually 
fills  every  year.    The  wheat  of  the  Indians  is  now 


372     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

maturing  and  that  which  I  have  seen  is  very  good. 
This  is  proof  of  the  richness  and  fertility  of  this 
land,  for  without  irrigation  and  solely  with  the  mois- 
ture which  the  river  affords  at  the  season  of  its 
regular  floods,  these  Indians  get  so  important  a  har- 
vest as  wheat.  I  note  also  that  these  Indians  harvest 
another  grain  which  they  call  quies,^  and  of  which 
they  make  atole,  bread  baked  in  ashes,  and  other 
dishes.  This  grain,  which  they  sow  in  the  winter 
and  in  the  lakes  when  they  are  drying  up,  looks  like 
the  seeds  of  the  fig,  although  somewhat  smaller.  In 
color  it  is  between  red  and  brown,  and  it  has  a  very 
pleasant  taste.  In  the  afternoon  the  Indians  from 
below  brought  me  some  provisions  consisting  of 
wheat,  maize,  and  beans.  In  return  I  gave  them 
some  knives  and  they  went  away  very  well  content. 
April  21. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was  fair. 
At  sunrise  I  said  Mass,  which  was  attended  by 
Palma,  who  never  fails.  I  note  this  because  Pablo, 
the  other  captain,  for  a  long  time  back  has  come 
neither  to  Mass  nor  to  the  Eosary,  and  I  have  noted 
that  he  is  averse  to  hearing  things  about  God.  There- 
fore it  is  not  well  that  this  Indian  Pablo  should 
be  given  the  title  of  justice,  although  some  persons 
might  favor  it,  for  I  do  not  like  him.  Moreover, 
Palma  has  told  me  several  times  that  he  does  not 
like  him  as  an  associate,  because  he  gives  him  no 
aid,  and  he  says  that  he  will  seek  a  man  of  good 
heart,  because  this  Pablo  is  a  great  wizard.  And 
from  what  I  have  experienced  I  must  say  that  Pablo 

1  Evidently  the  same  as  equiesa. 


EIXARCH'S  DIAEY  373 

has  a  bad  heart,  slight  love  for  the  fathers,  and  less 
for  the  things  of  God.  The  Yumas  are  now  beginning 
to  plant  beans,  calabashes,  and  maize,  and  I  have 
given  this  Palma  a  few  red  beans  in  order  that  he 
may  plant  them. 

April  22. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was  fair, 
although  somewhat  windy.  I  said  Mass  at  sunrise. 
I  think  that  in  this  place  the  heat  will  never  be  very 
intense,  because  the  wind  scarcely  ever  fails,  but  the 
Yumas  say  that  in  the  lowlands  they  burn  up  when 
they  are  in  the  sun. 

April  23. — I  did  not  say  Mass  because  there  was 
a  heavy  wind  in  the  morning,  and  it  is  continuing. 
Last  night  I  explained  to  Palma  and  others  the  ne- 
cessity for  holy  baptism,  for  as  I  have  already  said 
in  this  diary,  these  Indians  do  not  wholly  believe  in 
the  efficacy  of  this  sacrament  as  a  means  of  sancti- 
fying their  souls.  I  must  always  except  Palma  from 
these  doubts,  for  he  has  assured  me  many  times  that 
he  always  believes  the  things  which  I  say  to  him  be- 
cause they  are  good.  For  this  reason  he  said  to  me 
last  night  that  he  would  not  have  wept  even  though 
his  own  infant  child  had  died,  for  he  now  knows  that 
I  would  have  sprinkled  holy  water  on  it  and  it  would 
now  be  in  heaven,  face  to  face  with  God.  I  was 
greatly  pleased  to  see,  realize,  and  hear  in  a  heathen 
like  Palma  such  readiness  to  believe  the  highest 
mysteries.  Doubtless  because  of  his  good  heart  God 
gives  him  powerful  aid  in  order  that  he  may  em- 
brace the  Catholic  faith.   The  river  has  gone  down 


374     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

greatly.  When  I  asked  Palma  why  it  stopped  rising 
he  replied  that  it  is  in  the  habit  of  doing  this  and 
then  suddenly  much  water  comes. 

April  24. — I  said  Mass  at  daybreak.  Now  the 
wind  has  stopped  and  it  is  becoming  a  pleasant  day. 
The  Yumas  say  that  Father  Garces  went  to  Monte- 
rey. If  this  is  true  no  doubt  he  will  have  succeeded 
in  his  purpose  of  finding  a  better  road  than  the  one 
now  known.  What  is  certain  is  that  the  father  has 
not  yet  appeared,  and  I  am  very  sorry,  because  the 
projects  for  new  foundations  are  being  delayed,  but 
I  say  no  more  about  this  matter  because  I  do  not 
wish  to  be  a  false  prophet.  In  the  afternoon  three 
Cajuenches  came  to  visit  me. 

April  25. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was  fair. 
I  said  Mass,  to  which  Palma  and  the  Cajuenches  of 
yesterday  listened  with  close  attention,  and  they  also 
attended  the  Litanies  which  I  sang  after  Mass.  At 
noon  the  Cajuenches  departed,  and  according  to 
what  Palma  told  me  they  launched  themselves  on 
some  logs  in  the  river  and  properly  embarked  aboard 
them  they  are  going  to  their  land.  In  the  afternoon 
a  Jalchedun,  a  relative  of  Palma,  came  and  told  me 
that  Father  Garces  had  been  in  his  tribe.  At  night 
there  was  an  earthquake,  but  it  was  of  short  dura- 
tion. Since  I  had  never  experienced  such  a  thing 
I  was  frightened  to  see  how  the  hill  shook.  Palma 
told  me  that  it  always  does  this  whenever  the  river 
wishes  to  rise,  saying  that  the  earth  usually  trem- 
bles three  or  four  times. 


EIXARCH'S  DIARY  375 

April  26. — I  said  Mass  at  daybreak.  The  morn- 
ing was  somewhat  cloudy,  and  about  nine  o'clock  in 
the  forenoon  the  earthquake  was  repeated,  although 
very  lightly.  The  river  gets  lower  every  day,  al- 
though it  always  looks  large  to  me. 

April  27. — After  Mass  the  Jalchedun  left,  and 
with  him  I  dispatched  an  interpreter  with  a  letter 
for  Father  Garces,  who  departed  from  my  company 
two  and  one-half  months  ago  and  has  not  yet  ap- 
peared. I  note  this  down  for  whatever  use  it  may  be. 

April  28. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was  fair 
and  I  said  Mass  at  sunrise.  When  I  got  up  to  arrange 
the  altar  and  prepare  myself  to  celebrate,  Palma 
was  already  waiting  to  hear  me  say  Mass.  Poor 
heathen,  like  us  he  is  arguing  about  our  dilatoriness, 
for  without  more  light  than  the  little  which  I  have 
explained  to  him  of  the  Wonderful  Mystery,  he 
watches  and  spies  on  the  priest  when  he  goes  to  put 
on  his  vestments,  and  I  have  not  encountered  such 
faith  among  the  Spaniards  of  Pimeria  Alta.  In 
short,  this  Indian  causes  me  confusion. 

April  29. — I  said  Mass  at  sunrise.  I  may  note 
that  the  heat  is  now  excessive,  so  that  neither  at 
night  nor  in  the  morning  does  it  get  cool.  Now  I 
understand  the  report  of  Father  Garces  when  he 
says  that  in  this  country  the  heat  is  great  in  April 
and  thenceforward. 

April  30. — At  daybreak  I  said  Mass.  I  have 
noted  that  some  Yumas  are  short  of  maize,  beans, 
and  wheat,  although  they  are  not  in  great  need,  be- 


376     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

cause  of  the  other  fruits  and  grains  which  they  har- 
vest. And  although  the  horses,  mules,  and  cattle 
which  the  expedition  left  tired  out  have  eaten  up 
nearly  all  the  wheat,  I  feel  confident  they  will  have 
fair-sized  crops.  But  these  damages  which  these 
poor  people  are  now  beginning  to  suffer  ought  in 
justice  to  be  made  good  with  some  equivalent.  On 
whom  does  this  obligation  rest? 

May  1. — Day  dawned  fair  and  at  sunrise  I  said 
Mass.  Now  the  river  is  rising  again. 

May  2. — I  did  not  say  Mass,  and  there  is  nothing 
else  to  record. 

May  3. — In  the  morning  it  was  cloudy  and  some- 
what fresh.  I  say  fresh,  because  these  last  few  days 
have  so  used  me  up  with  the  heat  that  I  have  already 
bathed  a  few  times.  I  said  Mass  at  daybreak.  Yes- 
terday afternoon  I  adorned  with  willow  branches  a 
holy  cross  which  I  have  set  up  in  front  of  the  house. 
In  the  afternoon  some  Cocomaricopas  of  the  Gila 
River  came  with  their  alcalde  to  visit  me,  and  I  gave 
them  tobacco  and  a  basket  of  beans  and  maize  in 
order  that  they  might  eat. 

May  4. — At  daybreak  I  said  Mass,  which  was 
heard  by  Palma,  together  with  the  Cocomaricopas 
and  several  Yumas,  who  listened  in  deep  silence.  In 
the  afternoon  the  Cocomaricopas  departed,  and  by 
the  alcalde  I  sent  a  letter  for  the  senor  inspector.^ 
Before  sunset  there  was  a  great  storm  of  wind  ac- 
companied by  rain,  and  also  a  few  peals  of  thunder. 

1  Hugo  O  'Conor. 


EIXAECH'S  DIARY  *     377 

The  rain  was  not  very  considerable,  but  the  wind 
was  very  heavy  and  lasted  nearly  all  night. 

May  5. — In  the  morning  there  was  some  wind 
but  the  day  was  pleasant.  I  said  Mass  at  sunrise. 
The  river  is  rising  every  day  and  now  greatly  over- 
flows its  channel,  and  for  this  reason  the  Indians 
say  that  this  year  they  will  harvest  plentiful  maize, 
beans,  etc.  They  have  already  cleared  the  land  and 
are  beginning  to  cut  the  wheat. 

May  6. — The  morning  dawned  fair,  but  with 
much  wind  which  continued  until  night.  At  sunrise  I 
said  Mass,  although  with  some  difficulty,  Palma 
attending  as  always.  I  note  here  what  I  have  insinu- 
ated in  other  places  in  this  diary,  namely,  that 
Captain  Pablo  has  entirely  quit  coming  to  Mass,  the 
Eosary,  etc.,  and  I  am  becoming  convinced  of  what 
Palma  has  told  me  several  times  (the  Yumitas^  who 
are  at  Caborca  told  me  the  same  thing,  namely,  that 
Pablo  is  a  great  wizard.)  Indeed,  last  night  after 
supper  I  heard  this  fellow  chanting  a  canticle  very 
deliberately  and  melancholic,  having  a  sick  man  in 
his  house,  to  whom  he  gives  such  rubbings  of  the 
stomach  with  sand  that  only  a  brute  would  be  able 
to  stand  it.  He  blows  on  him  many  times,  and  then 
blows  against  the  wind,  making  many  passes  when 
he  puffs.  They  say  that  in  order  to  perform  his 
office  properly  he  bathes  himself  very  carefully 
early  in  the  morning.  I  note  this  in  order  that  the 
fathers  may  be  apprised  of  it,  for  although  Captain 

1  The  Little  Yumaa. 


378     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Ansa  has  shown  a  great  liking  for  this  Indian  it  is 
because  he  has  had  no  experience  with  him.  I  must 
say  that  he  is  lacking  in  every  amiable  quality.  All 
that  he  can  claim  is  to  be  made  in  the  image  of  God, 
for  which  reason  we  ought  to  love  him  the  same  as 
ourselves.  Palma  has  already  sought  another  man 
for  his  associate,  for  neither  he  nor  his  people  like 
this  Pablo. 

At  the  beginning  of  this  diary  I  gave  a  high 
opinion  of  this  Indian,  putting  him  above  Palma  in 
valor,  but  I  spoke  without  experience.  Now  I  have 
learned  that  if  it  had  not  been  for  Palma  he  would 
have  been  killed  by  the  Yumas  of  the  village  of  San 
Pablo,  of  which  they  say  he  is  captain.  For  this 
reason  I  have  many  times  given  him  the  title  of  cap- 
tain, but  I  do  not  know  what  kind  of  a  captain  he 
may  be,  for  not  only  does  he  not  live  at  his  village 
but  he  never  visits  his  people.  This  is  adequate 
proof  of  the  lack  of  acceptance  which  he  has  even 
among  his  own  people.  On  the  contrary,  Palma  is 
loved  and  respected  even  by  strangers.  Perhaps  it 
is  because  of  his  noble  heart  and  of  the  love,  which 
he  manifests  by  deeds,  not  only  for  the  king,  the 
Spaniards,  and  the  fathers,  but  for  all  things  relat- 
ing to  God. 

May  7. — In  the  morning  it  was  very  windy  and 
quite  fresh,  and  I  did  not  say  Mass.  Yesterday 
Governor  Carlos  of  the  Cocomaricopas  came  and 
remained  to  spend  the  night  with  me,  as  he  always 
does.  He  has  told  me  a  number  of  things,  and  among 


EIXAROH'S  DIARY  379 

them  he  has  said  that  the  maize  and  the  other  grains 
are  very  tall,  although  the  Gila  River  is  dry,  and 
that  the  Yabipays  are  now  good,  whereas  formerly 
they  were  very  hostile.  He  also  tells  me  that  there 
has  been  much  hunger  in  his  land,  and  other  things. 
I  like  this  Indian  immensely,  for  he  appears  to  be 
very  friendly  toward  the  Spaniards,  and  among  his 
people  he  has  the  greatest  authority.  I  have  given 
him  a  knife  and  some  provisions,  with  which  he  has 
been  very  well  pleased. 

May  8. — In  the  morning  it  was  very  fresh  but 
without  wind.  At  sunrise  I  said  Mass,  which  was  at- 
tended only  by  Palma.  These  last  two  days  it  has 
been  cold.  Yesterday  afternoon  Palma  told  me  that 
two  Pimas  had  come  and  said  that  the  Apaches  had 
fallen  on  Caborca  and  finished  the  few  horses  which 
were  left.  He  also  said  they  came  to  tell  me  that  at 
Caborca  there  was  a  letter  from  the  viceroy  in  which 
he  was  ordering  presidios  established  on  the  Gila 
and  Colorado  rivers;  that  Father  Garces  and  Cap- 
tain Ansa  were  going  to  see  the  viceroy,  but  that  I 
was  to  remain  here;  and  that  now  all  the  Spanish 
people  were  coming  to  this  river,  because  they  did 
not  wish  to  remain  either  at  Altar  or  in  the  Pimeria 
for  fear  of  the  Apaches.  I  recognize  that  these  things 
have  no  connection  with  one  another,  and  for  this 
reason  and  because  they  are  reports  of  Indians  I 
do  not  give  them  much  credence,  although  I  am  in- 
clined to  think  that  some  of  them  may  be  true,  for  a 
lie  is  usually  the  daughter  of  something. 


380     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

This  morning  the  cook  went  to  see  if  he  could 
kill  a  beef,  because  the  meat  is  now  nearly  used  up 
and  the  little  which  remains  is  wormy.  I  certainly 
am  very  thankful  for  the  provisions  which  Captain 
Ansa  left  here.  Of  meat  there  is  plenty  in  the  woods, 
and  of  horses  there  are  more  than  enough,  but  who 
can  catch  either  them  or  the  beeves?  **Cayta,'^  as 
they  say  in  Sinaloa. 

In  the  afternoon  the  two  interpreters  who  went 
with  Father  Garces  and  accompanied  him  as  far  as 
the  Jamajabs  returned.  They  tell  me  that  since  the 
father  set  forth  from  that  tribe,  leaving  them  to  take 
care  of  some  animals  and  other  things,  they  have  not 
heard  a  word  from  him.  All  they  tell  me  is  that  the 
father  and  the  Indian  Sebastian  crossed  over  to 
Monterey.  This  does  not  disturb  me,  except  that  it 
is  already  three  months  since  he  left  and  he  does  not 
appear,  nor  is  there  any  news  of  him.  The  servant 
who  went  to  hunt  a  beef  returned  without  being  able 
to  accomplish  anything,  but  he  told  me  that  the 
Yumas  had  killed  one. 

May  9. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was  fair 
and  I  said  Mass.  After  breakfast  the  three  inter- 
preters went  with  the  cook  to  scout  and  see  if  they 
could  kill  a  beef. 

May  10. — I  did  not  say  Mass  because  in  the  morn- 
ing it  was  very  windy.  The  interpreters  have  told 
me  that  the  Jalchedunes  as  well  as  the  Cajuenches 
and  the  Jamajabs  are  very  jealous,  saying  that  the 
Spaniards  love  only  Palma,  whom  they  treat  like  a 


EIXARCH'S  DIARY  381 

king,  paying  no  attention  to  them.  Other  things  said 
by  these  Indians  I  do  not  repeat  because  they  are 
childish.  Each  and  every  one  of  them  would  like  to 
have  a  father,  and  that  he  should  give  them  plenty 
of  tobacco  and  many  glass  beads. 

I  have  noted  during  these  days  that  the  river  is 
now  rising  so  much  that  it  greatly  overflows  its 
channel.  The  lagoons  are  full,  and,  in  a  word,  all  the 
bottom  lands,  which  are  so  extensive  that  if  all  should 
be  cultivated  this  would  be  a  sea  of  grain.  Now  the 
Yumas  are  eating  new  wheat  and  it  is  very  fine. 

May  11. — In  the  morning  the  weather  was  fair 
and  I  said  Mass.  Before  noon  Father  Fray  Pedro 
Font  returned  with  Captain  Ansa  and  the  soldiers 
who  went  from  Tubac  on  the  expedition.^ 

[^Here  ends  the  diary  of  Father  Fray  Thomas.^] 

1  Anza  and  Font  were  returning  from  the  expedition  which  con- 
ducted the  colony  of  settlers  for  San  Francisco. 

2  This  note  is  Father  Font 's. 

8  Father  Eixarch  (he  more  frequently  spelled  it  Eyxarch),  soon 
after  his  return  to  Tumacacori,  became  missionary  at  Oquitoa,  serving 
also  the  presidial  church  of  El  Altar.  His  first  entry  in  the  baptismal 
records  of  Oquitoa  was  made  on  September  11,  1776.  He  served 
continuously  there  till  February  1,  1781,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Fray  Juan  Gorgoll  {Libro  de  Bautismos,  Oquitoa,  1757-1845.  MS., 
Bancroft  Library). 


PALOU'S  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  FOUNDING 

OF  SAN  FRANCISCO 

1776 


Cusoo^  eomo  Ot/lo  VnaonccCdo  C/n^ el^fiasta? 
cl  du^,  ?^  Om^  £S  imv  toQt^au^  del  7)lc!i^ 
CiW  i/lpO  jv7/mO[/ndo.  i/j  yo2  aue  iou^^/tUc^ 
CUtemcoon  CXy^V.  Svn  i:<^mwi  mocrmTnodiJdcu) 
Se  ccr.<M>^  de  w2a:f  Ico  Jicni^  de  e^nt  tua^. 

CSta  lo  Oiue  on  cl  Ot^o  ttnpo  jtios  la/x<paz 

cl  dux  /  Z  <X>  ounw  de  tste  v^e^e^ryte  anb 
de  76"  como  d  las  t%es  de  la  tci%2e  yu^ 
em  tyyiaacha^  la  ixom  a  co/mo  de  ^rris^ 

Page  of  Moraga's  account  of  the  founding  of  San  Francisco. 


(M) 

PALOU'S  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  FOUNDING  OF 
SAN  FRANCISCO 

Aerival  at  Monterey  of  the  Families  Who  Had 

Remained  at  San  Gabriel,  and  the  Coming 

OF  THE  Order  to  Found  the  Presidio 

OF  Our  Father  San  Francisco^ 

It  has  already  been  said  that  by  order  of  Com- 
mander Rivera  twelve  of  the  soldiers  who  had  come 
with  the  expedition  of  Senor  Anza  had  remained  at 
San  Gabriel  and  their  families  with  them;  and  it 
has  also  been  noted  that  the  same  commander  sent 
an  order  for  them  to  go  up  to  Monterey.  This  was 
done  and  they  arrived  at  that  presidio  on  the  28th 
day  of  May.  By  Sergeant  Grixalva,  who  came  in 
command  of  them,  the  lieutenant  received  the  order 
from  his  superior  to  come  with  twenty  of  the  sol- 
diers from  Sonora  and  the  families  of  settlers  to 
the  port  of  San  Francisco,  to  found  the  fort  or  pre- 

1  This  account  of  the  founding  of  San  Francisco  mission  and 
presidio  is  taken  from  Palou's  Notidas  de  la  Nueva  California.  The 
headings  are  chapter  titles  in  the  original.  Palou  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  San  Francisco  and  his  story  is  therefore  that  of  an 
eye-witness.  It  supplements  Anza's  diary  by  carrying  the  enterprise 
through  to  completion.  This  in  turn  is  supplemented  by  Moraga's 
account,  which  follows. 


386     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

sidio  on  the  site  selected  by  Lieutenant-colonel  Don 
Juan  de  Anza;  that  for  the  present  the  founding 
of  the  two  missions  should  be  postponed  awaiting 
new  orders ;  and  that  the  other  ten  soldiers  from  the 
thirty  of  the  expedition  should  remain  in  Monterey. 

The  lieutenant^  complied,  setting  a  day  for  the 
march  by  land,  and  on  the  29th  day  of  the  same 
month  of  May  he  went  to  Carmelo  to  report  to  the 
reverend  father  president  the  order  which  he  had 
received  from  his  commander,  and  his  decision  to 
start  in  the  middle  of  June.  The  reverend  father 
president  replied  that  although  the  founding  of  the 
two  missions  was  postponed,  nevertheless,  the  two 
friars  whom  he  had  appointed  to  be  ministers  of  the 
first  mission  would  go  with  the  expedition,  not  only 
so  that  they  might  be  ready,  but  principally  to  ad- 
minister the  holy  sacraments  to  the  people  who  were 
going.  The  lieutenant  thanked  him  and  went  to  the 
presidio  to  prepare  for  the  march,  and  at  the  mis- 
sion we  did  the  same  in  order  to  be  ready. 

In  a  few  days  the  San  Carlos'^  dropped  anchor 
at  Monterey,  and  its  commander,  as  has  been  said, 
dispatched  a  courier  to  San  Diego.  While  awaiting 
the  reply  he  unloaded  what  belonged  to  that  pre- 
sidio, and  in  its  place  he  put  what  was  destined  for 
the  presidio  of  San  Francisco.  Not  having  any 
reason  to  delay,  the  lieutenant  set  out  with  his  expe- 
dition, as  I  shall  relate  in  the  next  chapter. 

1  The  lieutenant  was  Jose  Joaquin  Moraga. 

2  The  San  Carlos  came  from  San  Bias  with  supplies  for  Monterey 
and  San  Francisco. 


PALOU'S  ACCOUNT  387 


The  Expedition  Sets  Out  by  Land  to  Found  the 
Presidio  of  Our  Father  San  Francisco 

On  the  17th  day  of  June,  1776,  about  two  in  the 
afternoon,  the  company  of  soldiers  and  families 
from  Sonora  set  out  from  Monterey.  It  was  com- 
posed of  its  commander.  Lieutenant  Don  Jose  Joa- 
quin Moraga,  a  sergeant,  two  corporals,  and  ten 
soldiers,  all  with  their  wives  and  families  except 
the  commander,  who  had  left  his  in  Sonora.  In 
addition  there  were  seven  families  of  settlers, 
rationed  and  provisioned  by  the  king ;  other  persons 
attached  to  the  soldiers  and  their  families;  five 
servant  boys,  muleteers  and  vaqueros,  who  con- 
ducted about  two  hundred  of  the  king's  cattle  and 
some  belonging  to  individuals,  and  the  mule  train 
which  carried  the  provisions  and  utensils  necessary 
for  the  road.  All  of  the  foregoing  belonged  to  the 
new  presidio.  And  for  whatever  concerned  the  first 
mission  that  was  to  be  founded  we  two  ministers. 
Father  Fray  Pedro  Benito  Cambon  and  I,  went  with 
two  servants  who  conducted  the  loads,  and  three 
unmarried  Indian  neophytes,  two  of  them  from  Old 
California  and  the  other  from  the  mission  of  Car- 
melo,  who  drove  the  cattle  for  the  mission,  number- 
ing eighty-six  head,  which  were  incorporated  with 
those  for  the  presidio. 

The  officers  of  the  vessels,  with  their  pilots  and 
chaplains,  wished  to  accompany  the  expedition,  and 
they  all  did  so  for  about  half  a  league.    From  this 


388     THE  SAN  PEANCISCO  COLONY 

point  the  captain  of  the  Principe  and  all  the  pilots 
turned  back;  but  Don  Fernando  Quiros  continued 
for  the  first  day's  march  with  the  two  father  chap- 
lains as  far  as  the  Monterey  Eiver,  where  the  expe- 
dition halted  and  camped.  On  the  following  day, 
after  having  watched  all  the  people  cross  the  river 
and  seen  the  line  formed  on  that  broad  plain  by  all 
those  people,  the  pack  trains,  cattle,  and  the  horse 
herd,  they  returned  to  Monterey  after  taking  fare- 
well in  the  hope  that  we  would  soon  meet  in  the 
port  of  Our  Father  San  Francisco. 

The  expedition  continued  by  the  same  road 
which  was  traveled  in  the  exploration  of  that  harbor 
in  the  year  1774,  the  account  of  which  can  be  seen 
in  its  proper  place.^  But  the  day's  marches  were 
shorter,  in  order  not  to  fatigue  the  little  children 
and  the  women,  especially  those  who  were  pregnant, 
and  for  this  reason  it  was  even  necessary  to  make 
several  stops.  On  the  whole  way  there  was  not  a 
single  mishap,  thanks  to  God.  We  were  well  re- 
ceived by  all  the  heathen  whom  we  met  on  the  road, 
who  were  surprised  to  see  so  many  people  of  both 
sexes  and  all  ages,  for  up  to  that  time  they  had  not 
seen  more  than  some  few  soldiers,  on  the  occasions 
when  they  went  to  make  the  explorations.  And  they 
were  astonished  at  the  cattle,  which  they  had  never 
seen  before. 

On  the  27th  day  of  June  the  expedition  arrived 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  harbor,  and  the  com- 

1  Palou  refers  to  his  journey  to  San  Francisco  Bay  with  Eivera 
in  1774.     The  route  was  essentially  that  folowed  by  Anza  and  Font. 


PALOU'S  ACCOUNT  389 

mander  ordered  the  camp  halted  on  the  bank  of  a 
lagoon  called  by  Senor  Anza  Nuestra  Senora  de  los 
Dolores,  which  is  in  sight  of  the  bay  of  Los  Llorones^ 
and  the  beach  of  the  bay  or  arm  of  the  sea  which 
runs  to  the  southeast,  with  the  intention  of  waiting 
here  for  the  bark  in  order  to  select  the  spot  for  the 
founding  of  the  fort  and  presidio,  and  in  the  mean- 
time to  explore  the  land.  On  the  following  day  he 
ordered  a  shelter  of  branches  built  to  serve  as  a 
chapel  in  which  to  celebrate  the  holy  sacrifice  of 
Mass.  In  it  the  first  Mass  was  said  on  the  29th,  the 
feast  of  the  great,  holy  apostles,  San  Pedro  and  San 
Pablo,  and  we  continued  to  celebrate  in  it  every  day 
until  the  camp  was  moved  to  the  site  which  it  occu- 
pies near  the  landing  place,  when  the  ground  and  the 
convenience  of  water  permitted  it. 

As  soon  as  the  expedition  halted,  the  heathen  of 
the  surrounding  villages  came  to  the  camp,  attracted 
by  the  novelty  of  seeing  such  neighbors  in  their  coun- 
try. They  came  to  visit  us  frequently,  bringing  their 
rude  gifts  of  mussels  and  wild  seeds,  which  were 
always  reciprocated  with  beads  and  some  of  our 
food,  to  which  they  soon  took  a  liking,  except  the 
milk,  which  they  refused  to  taste. 

These  natives  are  well  formed,  many  of  them  be- 
ing bearded,  bald,  and  rather  homely,  for  they  have  a 
habit  of  pulling  out  the  hair  of  their  eyebrows  by  the 
roots,  which  makes  them  ugly.  They  are  poor,  and 
have  no  houses  except  little  enclosures  made  of  brush 
to  shelter  them  somewhat  from  the  heavy  winds 

1  Now  called  Mission  Bay. 


390     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

which  prevail  and  are  extremely  annoying.  The  men 
go  totally  naked,  though  here  and  there  one  covers 
his  shoulders  with  a  sort  of  a  little  cape  of  beaver 
skins  and  pelican  feathers.  The  women  cover  them- 
selves only  with  plaited  tules,  for  very  few  skins  of 
animals  are  seen  among  them. 

For  an  entire  month  the  expedition  remained  in 
that  camp,  which  was  composed  of  field  tents,  wait- 
ing for  the  bark.^  Meanwhile  soldiers,  citizens,  and 
servants  employed  themselves  in  cutting  logs  in 
order  to  have  this  much  done  when  the  bark  should 
arrive.  The  lieutenant  busied  himself  in  exploring 
the  land  in  the  vicinity,  where  he  found  some  springs 
of  water,  lagoons,  pastures,  and  good  sites  for  all 
kinds  of  stock.  Near  the  white  cliffy  he  found  two 
springs  of  water  suflficient  for  the  use  of  the  presidio, 
and  not  far  from  them  he  found  a  good  plain  which 
is  in  view  of  the  harbor  and  entrance,  and  also  of  its 
interior.  As  soon  as  he  saw  the  spot  the  lieutenant 
decided  that  it  was  suitable  for  the  presidio  but  he 
delayed  moving  the  people  there,  as  he  was  waiting 
day  by  day  for  the  arrival  of  the  packet. 

Seeing  that  it  did  not  appear  for  a  whole  month, 
and,  as  they  wrote  from  Monterey  by  the  pack  train 
which  went  to  bring  provisions,  that  it  had  sailed 
long  ago,^  the  lieutenant  decided  to  move  to  that  spot 
so  that  the  soldiers  might  begin  to  build  their  huts 

1  Thus   the   beginnings    of   San   Francisco    were   at   the   mission, 
instead  of  the  presidio. 

2  At  Fort  Point. 

3  The  long  delay  of  the  San  Carlos  is  explained  on  p.  392, 


PALOU'S  ACCOUNT  391 

for  shelter,  since  it  was  nearer  at  hand  for  making 
a  beginning  of  the  houses.  This  he  did  on  the  26th 
of  July,  setting  to  work  immediately  to  construct 
some  tule  huts.  The  first  was  the  one  that  was  to 
serve  as  a  chapel,  and  in  it  I  said  Mass  on  the  28th 
of  the  same  month. 

Notwithstanding  that  the  order  of  the  com- 
mander, which  was  sent  from  San  Diego  to  the  lieu- 
tenant, was  to  found  the  presidio  only,  yet,  seeing 
that  he  had  plenty  of  men,  among  soldiers  and  set- 
tlers; that  the  site  of  the  first  mission  was  so  near 
the  presidio ;  and  that  as  far  as  he  had  observed  the 
heathen  in  the  vicinity  there  was  no  reason  at  that 
time  to  fear  them,  as  they  had  shown  signs  of  friend- 
ship, the  lieutenant  decided  that  we  two  missionaries 
should  remain,  with  a  guard  of  six  soldiers,  all  the 
cattle,  and  the  other  things  belonging  to  the  mission, 
so  that  hand  might  be  put  to  cutting  timbers  for  a 
dwelling ;  and  he  charged  the  soldiers  and  one  settler 
to  do  the  same,  so  as  to  have  a  place  to  live  in  with 
their  families. 


Arrival  of  the  Packet  San  Carlos  at  the  Port  of 

San  Francisco,  and  the  Founding 

of  the  Presidio 

It  has  already  been  said  in  the  preceding  chapter^ 
that  when  the  expedition  left  Monterey  the  packet 
San  Carlos  remained  at  anchor  loaded  in  that  port, 

1  See  Bolton,  Palou's  New  California,  IV,  Chapter  XVIIL 


392     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

while  its  commander  delayed  sailing  until  the  return 
of  the  messenger  whom  he  had  dispatched  to  San 
Diego.^  As  soon  as  the  courier  arrived  the  San  Car- 
los sailed  from  that  port  bound  for  San  Francisco, 
but  immediately  after  leaving  Monterey  it  began  to 
experience  contrary  winds,  so  strong  that  it  was 
driven  down  to  the  parallel  of  San  Diego,  but  very 
far  from  the  coast.  From  that  point  it  went  on  grad- 
ually ascending  and  gaining  altitude  until  it  reached 
forty-two  degrees,  at  which  latitude  it  approached 
the  shore  and  then  descended  as  far  as  Point  Beyes. 
There  it  put  in  between  that  point  and  the  northern 
farallones,  dropping  anchor  on  the  north  coast  in 
the  Gulf  of  the  Farallones  on  the  night  of  the  17th 
of  August.  On  the  following  day  it  successfully  en- 
tered the  harbor,  and  about  two  o  'clock  in  the  after- 
noon it  anchored  not  very  far  from  the  spot  where 
the  soldiers  were  lodged,  but  not  in  sight  of  them,  as 
the  view  was  cut  off  by  the  point  of  the  hill  on  whose 
skirts  the  camp  was  placed ;  but  it  was  in  sight  of  the 
white  cliff  and  the  entrance  to  the  harbor. 

As  soon  as  the  bark  was  made  fast,  the  com- 
mander, pilots,  and  Father  Nocedal  went  ashore. 
When  they  saw  the  site  of  the  camp  they  were  all  of 
the  opinion  that  it  was  a  very  suitable  place  for  the 
fort  and  presidio,  and  they  thought  the  same  of  the 
site  of  the  Laguna  de  los  Dolores  for  the  mission.  In 
view  of  the  opinion  of  the  captain  of  the  bark  and 
the  pilots,  work  was  begun  on  the  building  of  the 

1  The  commander  was  Captain  Don  Fernando  Quiros,  naval  lieu- 
tenant of  the  royal  fleet.  His  pilots  were  Don  Jos6  Canizares  and 
Don  Cri8t6bal  Eevilla. 


PALOU'S  ACCOUNT  393 

houses  and  the  presidio.  A  square  measuring  ninety- 
two  varas  each  way  was  marked  out  for  it,  with  divi- 
sions for  church,  royal  offices,  warehouses,  guard- 
houses, and  houses  for  soldier  settlers,  a  map  of  the 
plan  being  formed  and  drawn  by  the  first  pilot. 

And  so  that  the  work  might  be  done  as  speedily 
as  possible,  the  commander^  designated  a  squad  of 
sailors  and  the  two  carpenters  to  join  the  servants 
of  the  royal  presidio  in  making  a  good  warehouse  in 
which  to  keep  the  provisions,  a  house  for  the  com- 
manding officer  of  the  presidio,  and  a  chapel  for 
celebrating  the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  while  the 
soldiers  were  making  their  own  houses  for  their 
families. 

The  work  of  the  presidio  being  now  under  way, 
Captain  Don  Fernando  Quiros  came  to  the  site  of 
the  mission,  accompanied  by  the  chaplain,  a  pilot, 
the  surgeon,  and  six  sailors,  to  aid  in  building  a 
church  or  chapel  in  which  to  celebrate  Mass  and  a 
room  to  live  in.  With  this  assistance  the  buildings 
were  begun,  and  everything  progressed  so  well  that 
by  the  middle  of  September  the  soldiers  had  their 
houses  already  made  of  logs,  all  with  flat  roofs ;  the 
lieutenant  had  his  government  house,  and  a  ware- 
house of  the  same  material  was  finished  large  enough 
to  store  all  the  provisions  brought  by  the  bark. 

It  was  then  decided  that  the  formal  act  of  pos- 
session should  take  place,  the  day  appointed  for  it 
being  that  on  which  our  Mother  Church  celebrates 
the  impression  of  the   stigmata  of  Our  Seraphic 

1  Captain  Quiros,  of  the  San  Carlos. 


394     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Father  San  Francisco,  that  is,  the  17th  of  Septem- 
ber, a  most  appropriate  day,  since  he  is  the  patron 
of  the  harbor,  the  new  presidio,  and  the  mission. 
And  for  taking  formal  possession  of  the  mission  the 
4th  of  October  was  designated,  which  is  the  day  dedi- 
cated to  Our  Seraphic  Father  San  Francisco.  The 
commander  of  the  packet,  his  two  pilots,  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  crew  were  present  at  the  cere- 
mony of  taking  formal  possession,^  only  those  who 
were  absolutely  necessary  remaining  on  board;  and 
with  the  people  from  the  presidio,  troops  as  well  as 
citizens,  they  made  up  a  goodly  number  of  Spaniards. 
There  were  also  present  four  friar  priests,  all  of 
our  College,^  that  is,  the  two  missionary  fathers  of 
this  mission,  the  chaplain  of  the  bark,  and  Father 
Fray  Tomas  de  la  Pena,  who  had  come  from  Monte- 
rey to  examine  the  site  for  the  second  mission,  of 
which  he  had  been  named  minister. 

A  solemn  Mass  was  sung  by  the  ministers,  and 
when  it  was  concluded  the  gentlemen  performed  the 
ceremony  of  taking  formal  possession.  This  finished, 
all  entered  the  chapel  and  sang  the  Te  Deum  Lauda- 
mus,  accompanied  by  peals  of  bells  and  repeated 
salvos  of  cannon,  muskets,  and  guns,  the  bark  re- 
sponding with  its  swivel  guns,  whose  roar  and  the 
sound  of  the  bells  doubtless  terrified  the  heathen, 

1  That  is,  of  the  presidio  site. 

2  The  College  of  San  Fernando  de  Mexico.  The  ministers  were 
Fathers  Pal6u  and  Camb6n;  the  chaplain  of  the  bark  was  Father 
Nocedal.  Father  Pena  two  years  before  had  made  the  memorable 
voyage  in  the  Santiago  to  the  North  Pacific  in  company  with  Father 
Crespi. 


PALOU'S  ACCOUNT  395 

for  they  did  not  allow  themselves  to  be  seen  for  many- 
days.  The  ceremony  concluded,  the  commander^  of 
the  presidio  invited  to  it  all  the  people,  conducting 
himself  with  all  the  splendor  that  the  place  per- 
mitted, and  supplying  with  his  true  kindness  what 
elsewhere  would  have  been  lacking,  for  which  all  the 
people  were  grateful,  expressing  their  gratitude  in 
the  joy  and  happiness  which  all  felt  on  that  day. 

New  Explokation  of  the  Rivers  which  Empty  into 
THE  Harbor  of  Our  Father  San  Francisco 

Immediately  after  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremony 
of  taking  possession  and  the  founding  of  the  presi- 
dio, the  work  of  unloading  the  bark  was  begun,  since 
the  warehouse  was  now  finished.  While  the  men  were 
occupied  in  this  task,  the  two  commanders,^  by  sea 
and  by  land,  decided  to  go  to  explore  the  rivers,  the 
lieutenant-commander  of  the  presidio  going  by  land 
with  a  party  of  soldiers,  and  the  commander  of  the 
packet  by  water  in  the  launch,  taking  the  first  pilot^ 
and  the  necessary  crew.  The  commanders  agreed 
with  each  other  on  what  day  and  in  what  place  the 
two  parties  were  to  meet,  which  was  above  the  round 
bay,  at  the  disemboguement  of  the  river  into  it,*  the 
plan  being  to  ascend  the  river  from  there  as  far  as 
possible,  some  going  by  land  and  some  by  the  river. 

The  two  officers,  having  thus  agreed,  set  forth 
on  the  exploration  on  the  23d  of  September  early  in 

1  Moraga.  2  Quiros  and  Moraga.  3  Canizares. 

*At  the  west  end  of  Carquinez  Strait,  just  below  the  Carquinez 
Bridge. 


396     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

the  morning,  my  father  companion,  Fray  Pedro 
Cambon,  going  in  the  launch  to  say  Mass  for  both 
expeditions,  since  in  three  days  they  were  to  meet 
at  the  month  of  the  river.  For  this  reason  the  vest- 
ment was  sent  with  the  land  expedition,  and  for  the 
same  reason  the  provisions  for  those  in  the  launch 
went  also  by  land,  only  enough  for  a  week  being  car- 
ried aboard.  On  the  same  morning,  about  eight 
0  'clock,  the  lieutenant  passed  by  here^  with  eight  sol- 
diers. Taking  the  vestment,  he  set  out  on  the  road 
in  all  haste,  for  he  had  to  round  the  southeast  bay, 
which  penetrates  about  fifteen  leagues  into  the  land, 
and  then  go  back  as  many  more  on  the  other  side,  in 
order  to  place  himself  in  the  parallel  of  the  presidio, 
and  from  there  go  up  to  the  round  bay  and  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  the  spot  agreed  upon  for  the 
meeting  of  the  two  expeditions.^ 

In  order  to  save  all  this  travel  the  commander 
of  the  land  party  thought  it  best,  as  soon  as  he  should 
reach  the  point  of  the  southeast  bay,  to  cross  over 
to  the  east  side  of  the  mountains,  in  order  to  reach 
the  river  without  such  a  long  detour.  He  did  so, 
and  this  was  the  cause  of  the  failure  of  those  expe- 
ditions to  meet  and  to  accomplish  what  was  desired. 

On  the  day  appointed  the  launch  arrived  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  where  it  waited  a  day  longer  for 
the  land  expedition.  Then,  seeing  that  it  did  not 
appear,  and  that  the  provisions  were  getting  low,  as 
the  rest  of  the  supplies  had  gone  by  land,  the  captain 
decided  to  go  down  again  to  the  harbor,  as  he  did, 

1  Mission  Dolores.  2  See  p.  418. 


PALOU'S  ACCOUNT  397 

arriving  in  the  afternoon  of  the  29th  of  the  same 
month  of  September,  where  he  told  us  with  a  great 
deal  of  sorrow  the  cause  of  his  returning  so  soon,  in 
consequence  of  which  he  had  not  been  able  to  accom- 
plish the  desired  purpose  of  sailing  up  the  river.  He 
said  that  he  had  only  seen  that  part  of  it  which  had 
been  examined  the  previous  year,  but  that  the  map 
which  had  been  made  of  that  first  exploration  was 
very  accurate,  and  that  he  had  nothing  to  take  away 
or  to  add.^ 

Even  though  he  did  not  succeed  in  exploring  the 
river,  he  did  make  sure  that  this  harbor  has  no  com- 
munication with  that  of  Captain  Bodega,  which  was 
also  charged  by  his  Excellency.  For,  having  ex- 
plored in  that  direction,  he  only  found,  as  before, 
another  arm  or  large  estuary.  And  after  sailing 
through  it  for  two  days  he  came  to  the  end  of  it  and 
learned  that  it  does  not  communicate  with  the  sea  in 
that  direction,  and  likewise  that  the  two  harbors  do 
not  communicate  with  each  other.^  He  was  confirmed 
in  this  conclusion,  for  while  he  was  at  the  head  of 
the  estuary  he  had  in  front  of  him  and  in  sight  a 
very  high  mountain  range  which  ran  to  the  west, 
and  apparently  went  to  end  in  some  cape  on  the 
coast  much  farther  up  than  the  harbor  of  Bodega. 
And  according  to  the  latitude  in  which  the  launch 
was  at  the  head  of  the  bay,  he  judged  that  this  range 
must  be  the  one  which  ends  in  Cape  Mendocino.  For 
the  reason  already  given,  the  expedition  by  sea  could 
not  explore  any  farther. 

1  Ayala  had  explored  the  bay  in  1775. 

2  He  reached  the  vicinity  of  Petaluma. 


398     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

The  land  expedition,  as  soon  as  it  crossed  the 
mountains^  through  a  pass  of  low  hills  which  facili- 
tated the  march,  found  itself  in  the  plain  which  is 
crossed  by  the  large  river.  The  lieutenant-com- 
mander, seeing  that  they  were  much  farther  up  than 
had  been  agreed  upon,  and  concluding  that  accord- 
ing to  the  time  set  he  would  not  now  be  able  to  meet 
the  men  of  the  launch,  decided  to  continue  through 
the  plain  up  the  river.  He  did  this,  following  the 
stream  for  three  entire  days,  traveling  rapidly.  He 
came  to  several  heathen  villages  and  was  welcomed 
everywhere  with  demonstrations  of  pleasure  and 
friendship,  the  heathen  making  him  presents  of  seeds 
and  fish,  which  he  reciprocated  with  beads.  He  ob- 
served that  farther  up  the  country  was  uninhabited 
by  heathen. 

The  plain  through  which  that  river  runs,  he  said, 
is  as  level  as  the  palm  of  the  hand,  without  any  trees 
except  in  the  bed  of  the  river.  It  is  an  immense  plain, 
for  he  did  not  see  the  end  of  it,  and  he  reached  a 
place  where  it  made  a  horizon  in  every  direction,  so 
that  he  saw  the  sun  rise  and  set  in  the  same  way  as 
if  he  were  on  the  high  sea.  It  was  excessively  hot. 

1  Since  Moraga  was  with  Anza  the  year  before  on  his  journey  to 
Carquinez  Strait  and  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  it  seems  strange  that 
he  should  have  expected  by  this  means  to  shorten  the  journey  to 
the  head  of  Carquinez  Strait.  His  route  is  uncertain.  The  pass 
nearest  to  the  south  end  of  San  Francisco  Bay  is  Mission  Pass,  which 
should  have  taken  him  to  Livermore  Valley,  but  where  he  emerged 
into  the  San  Joaquin  is  not  clear.  Three  days  of  rapid  travel  and 
"much  farther*'  would  be  at  least  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  The 
expedition  lasted  sixteen  days. 


PALOU'S  ACCOUNT  399 

After  traveling  much  further  on  the  bank  of  the 
river,  he  observed  that,  although  it  was  very  wide, 
it  apparently  did  not  carry  much  water,  and  he 
wished  to  try  his  luck  in  crossing  it,  but  some  hea- 
then, seeing  what  he  was  about  to  do,  made  signs 
that  he  must  not  cross  unless  he  followed  them.  He 
did  this,  and,  ascending  a  little  farther,  they  showed 
him  a  ford,  and  by  it  he  crossed  the  great  river  of 
Our  Father  San  Francisco,  guided  by  the  heathen. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  river  he  found  that  the  same 
plain  and  level  land  continued.  They  traveled  over 
it  all  one  day.  To  the  north  in  the  same  plain  they 
saw  some  groves,  which,  judging  by  the  windings 
which  they  made,  marked  the  course  of  the  rivers, 
but  they  did  not  dare  to  explore  them  lest  they  be 
lost  in  that  wide  plain,  for  they  were  without  a  com- 
pass by  which  to  guide  themselves.  Consequently, 
they  went  back  and  recrossed  the  river  by  the  same 
ford,  and,  returning  by  the  same  road,  arrived  at 
the  presidio  on  the  7th  of  October,  without  having 
had  the  slightest  mishap  in  the  journey. 


The  Founding  of  the  Mission  of  Our  Seraphic 

Father  San  Francisco  Near  the  Harbor 

of  That  Name 

It  has  already  been  said  that  notwithstanding  the 
order  of  Commander  Don  Fernando  Rivera  that  for 
the  present  the  presidio  alone  should  be  founded, 
his  lieutenant  decided  that  the  founding  might  go 


400     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

on,  for  he  had  enough  men  for  both  the  presidio  and 
a  mission/  With  this  object,  when  the  expedition  set 
out  to  make  a  beginning  of  the  buildings  of  the  pre- 
sidio, he  left  us  two  missionaries  in  this  place  at  the 
Laguna  de  los  Dolores,  with  an  escort  of  six  soldiers, 
one  named  as  corporal  in  command,  and  a  citizen 
settler  with  his  family,  besides  the  families  of  the 
six  soldiers,  who  were  married.  As  soon  as  we  found 
ourselves  alone  work  was  begun,  aided  by  the  three 
servants,  in  cutting  timber  to  begin  the  building  of 
the  chapel  and  the  dwelling  houses.  By  the  time  the 
bark  arrived  we  already  had  plenty  of  timber,  and 
with  the  aid  of  some  sailors,  who  were  furnished  by 
Commander  Quiros,  in  a  short  time  a  house  ten 
varas  long  and  five  wide,  all  of  wood,  covered  with 
clay  and  with  a  roof  of  tule,  was  finished.  Imme- 
diately afterward  a  church,  eighteen  varas  long,  was 
built  of  the  same  material,  with  a  room  for  the  sac- 
risty behind  the  altar,  and  adorned  as  well  as  possi- 
ble with  cloths  and  drapery  and  with  the  banners 
and  pennants  of  the  bark.  The  chapel  was  blessed 
with  all  ceremony  on  the  3d  of  October,  the  eve 
of  the  Feast  of  Our  Seraphic  Father,  it  being  our 
intention  to  celebrate  the  occasion  on  the  following 
day  with  due  solemnity.  But,  as  the  lieutenant  had 
not  returned  from  his  expedition  at  the  end  of  the 
day,  it  was  agreed  to  postpone  the  founding  and 
merely  to  sing  a  Mass  on  the  day  of  Our  Seraphic 
Father,  as  was  done. 

1  Thus  Eivera's  opposition  was  ignored. 


PALOU'S  ACCOUNT  401 

On  the  8th  of  the  same  month,  the  lieutenant  hav- 
ing arrived  the  previous  afternoon,  the  ceremony 
was  performed,  in  the  presence  of  the  gentlemen  of 
the  bark  and  all  the  crew  except  those  required  to 
take  care  of  the  vessel,  and  of  the  commander  of  the 
presidio  with  all  the  troops  and  citizens,  only  those 
that  were  absolutely  required  remaining  at  the  fort. 
I  sang  the  Mass  with  the  ministers,  and  at  its  con- 
clusion a  procession  was  formed,  in  which  an  image 
of  Our  Seraphic  Father  San  Francisco,  patron  of 
the  port,  presidio,  and  mission,  was  carried  on  a 
frame.  The  function  was  celebrated  with  repeated 
salvos  of  muskets,  rifles,  and  the  swivel  guns  that 
were  brought  from  the  bark  for  the  purpose,  and  also 
with  rockets.  All  the  people  who  were  present  at  the 
ceremony  remained  at  the  mission  to  dine,  two  beeves 
having  been  killed  for  their  entertainment.  In  the 
afternoon  the  men  returned  to  the  presidio  and  the 
crew  went  on  board,  the  day  having  been  a  very 
joyous  one  for  all.  The  only  ones  who  did  not  enjoy 
this  happy  day  were  the  heathen,  as  I  shall  relate  at 
length  in  the  next  chapter. 

The  founding  of  the  presidio  and  mission  con- 
cluded, the  sea  commander  decided  to  prepare  the 
bark  for  its  return  to  San  Bias,  ordering  wood  and 
water  taken  on  and  the  necessary  ballast  loaded. 
Everything  being  finished,  and  the  weather  favor- 
able, it  safely  left  this  harbor  on  the  morning  of  the 
21st  of  October. 


402     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

The  successful  founding  of  the  mission  had  been 
greatly  promoted  not  only  by  the  presence  of  the 
gentlemen  at  the  function,  but  also  by  the  aid  of 
some  sailors,  who  assisted  in  the  building,  and  of  the 
carpenter,  who  made  the  doors  of  the  church  and  the 
house,  and  a  table  with  two  drawers  for  the  altar. 
Besides  this,  a  gift  was  made  of  a  cayuco^  and  a  net 
for  fishing.  At  the  same  time  it  was  arranged  that 
four  sailors  should  remain  as  laborers,  completing 
the  number  of  six  who  were  allowed  by  his  Excel- 
lency. With  this  reinforcement  the  work  proceeded 
on  the  buildings  and  in  preparing  the  land  for  plant- 
ing. Crops  were  put  in,  and  a  good  stream  of  water 
for  irrigating  was  conducted  by  a  ditch  which  passes 
close  to  the  houses. 


Occurrence  at  This  Mission  of  Our  Seraphic 
Father  San  Francisco 

The  heathen  of  the  village  near  this  place  made 
frequent  visits,  and  were  apparently  pleased  with 
our  arrival,  although,  through  lack  of  interpreters 
and  our  ignorance  of  their  language,  we  could  not 
tell  them  the  purpose  of  our  coming.  They  went  on 
in  this  way  until  the  12th  of  August,  when  the  hea- 
then of  the  villages  of  San  Mateo,  who  are  their 
enemies,  fell  upon  them  at  a  large  town  about  a 
league  from  this  lagoon,  burned  it  and  had  a  fight, 
in  which  there  were  many  wounded  and  dead  on  both 

1  A  canoe  of  the  type  made  by  the  Indians  of  the  Santa  Barbara 
Channel. 


PALOU'S  ACCOUNT  403 

sides.  Apparently  the  Indians  of  this  vicinity  were 
defeated,  and  so  fearful  were  they  of  the  others  that 
they  made  tule  rafts  and  all  moved  to  the  shore  op- 
posite the  presidio,  or  to  the  mountains  on  the  east 
side  of  the  bay.  We  were  unable  to  restrain  them, 
even  though  we  let  them  know  by  signs  that  they 
should  have  no  fear,  as  the  soldiers  would  defend 
them. 

After  their  removal  their  visits  were  very  rare, 
and  only  now  and  then  some  men  and  boys  came, 
and  then  only  because  they  happened  to  come  to  this 
lagoon  to  hunt  ducks.  They  generally  gave  us  some 
of  them,  and  we  returned  the  gift  with  beads  and 
some  of  our  food.  In  the  last  visits  which  they  made 
early  in  December  they  began  to  disgrace  themselves, 
now  by  thefts,  now  by  firing  an  arrow  close  to  the 
corporal  of  the  guard,  and  again  by  trying  to  kiss 
the  wife  of  a  soldier,  as  well  as  by  threatening  to  fire 
an  arrow  at  a  neophyte  from  the  mission  of  Carmelo 
who  was  at  this  mission. 

The  sergeant,  who  was  at  this  mission  in  the 
middle  of  December,  learned  of  all  this,  and  one  day 
when  five  heathen  came  to  visit  us  and  one  of  them 
turned  out  to  be  the  one  who  a  few  days  before  had 
threatened,  or  made  a  gesture,  to  fire  the  arrow  at 
the  neophyte,  he  caused  him  to  be  arrested,  and  given 
a  flogging  in  the  guardhouse.  On  hearing  his  cries 
two  heathen  who  were  hunting  on  the  lagoon  ran  up, 
and  they  were  bold  enough  to  try  to  avenge  the  in- 
jury, making  ready  to  shoot  arrows  at  the  soldiers, 


404     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

who  fired  two  gunshots  just  to  frighten  them,  and  in 
fact  they  fled  without  any  injury  having  occurred. 
The  sergeant  followed  them,  and  seeing  that  they 
entered  the  wood  toward  the  beach,  he  returned  to 
the  presidio,  where  he  was  in  command  as  a  substi- 
tute for  the  lieutenant. 

Fearing  that  the  Indians  would  cross  the  bay,  on 
the  following  day  the  sergeant  went  to  the  beach 
with  some  soldiers  to  order  the  two  Indians  who  had 
fired  arrows  at  the  mission  flogged,  to  frighten  them. 
On  the  beach  he  found  a  band  of  heathen.  When  they 
were  asked  which  ones  had  fired  arrows  at  the  mis- 
sion they  pointed  out  two,  and  although  they  denied 
it  the  others  accused  them.  The  sergeant  dismounted, 
and  when  they  saw  the  movement  the  two  guilty 
ones  fled,  and  two  of  the  soldiers  followed  them.  The 
rest  of  the  Indians  withdrew  and  began  to  shoot 
arrows,  wounding  a  citizen  who  had  gone  without  his 
leather  jacket,  and  also  a  horse,  although  they  were 
not  seriously  hurt. 

The  sergeant,  seeing  this  and  that  they  did  not 
stop  shooting,  ordered  the  men  to  fire,  and  the 
wounded  citizen  brought  down  one  with  a  ball  and 
he  fell  dead  in  the  water  of  the  bay.  The  rest  ran  to 
take  refuge  among  some  isolated  rocks  not  far  away, 
whence  they  continued  to  shoot  arrows.  The  ser- 
geant fired  at  them  and  at  one  shot  the  ball  went 
through  the  leg  of  one  of  them  and  then  pierced  the 
rock,  for  they  found  the  hole  next  day,  and  signs 
that  the  Indians  had  taken  out  the  ball,  doubtless  to 


PALOU'S  ACCOUNT  405 

see  what  it  was  that  had  made  such  havoc  among 
them.  As  soon  as  the  Indians  among  the  isolated 
rocks  saw  one  of  their  number  dead  and  the  other  so 
badly  wounded,  they  asked  for  peace,  making  the 
gesture  of  throwing  their  bows  and  arrows  on  the 
ground.  The  sergeant  did  the  same  with  his  gun, 
upon  which  they  became  quiet,  but  they  did  not  wish 
to  go  to  the  beach  when  the  sergeant  called  them  to 
collect  their  things. 

The  soldiers  caught  the  two  who  had  run  off  to 
the  woods,  and  the  sergeant  went  to  them  and 
charged  them  with  having  dared  to  fire  arrows  at 
the  mission,  caused  them  to  be  whipped,  and  told 
them  by  signs  that  if  they  did  it  again  he  would  kill 
them.  He  told  them  to  gather  up  all  the  things  they 
had  there,  their  own  as  well  as  those  of  their  com- 
panions, and  to  tell  others  not  to  do  any  harm  and 
they  would  be  friends. 

Because  of  this  misadventure  they  became  panic- 
stricken  and  absented  themselves  to  such  an  extent 
that  they  did  not  dare  to  approach  the  mission  or 
the  presidio,  and  did  not  permit  themselves  to  be 
seen  for  three  months,  up  to  the  beginning  of  March. 
Thereafter,  now  and  then  one  came  to  the  mission, 
and  little  by  little  they  yielded  themselves  up,  so 
that  on  the  day  of  San  Juan  Baptista,  June  24,  1777, 
the  first  three  were  baptized,  they  being  adults,  but 
the  rest  of  the  heathen  came  no  more. 


MORAGA'S  ACCOUNT  OP  THE  FOUNDING 
OF  SAN  FRANCISCO 

1776 


(N) 

MORAGA'S  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  FOUNDING 
OF  SAN  FRANCISCO 

Lettek  of  Lieutenant  Don  Josef  Joachin  Moraga 

IN  Which  He  Reports  the  Occupation  of  the 

Port  of  San  Francisco,  the  Erection  of  a 

Mission,  the  Country  Explored  and 

Other  Achievements/ 

Most  Excellent  Sir  : 

The  account  which  I  am  going  to  give  to  your 
Excellency,  both  of  my  [march  with]  the  troops  of 
my  command  from  the  presidio  of  Monterrey  to  this 
port  of  San  Francisco,  as  well  as  of  what  has  been 
done  in  it  up  to  this  date,  is  a  summary  of  the  diary 
which  I  am  preparing,  for  in  order  that  the  exalted 
attention  of  your  Excellency  may  understand  every- 
thing about  this  new  establishment  with  less  incon- 
venience, I  have  decided  to  summarize  in  this  report 
what  in  the  other  I  have  written  out  more  at  length. 

With  this  understanding,  let  me  say  that  on  the 
17th  of  June  of  this  present  year  of  1776,  about 
three^  in  the  afternoon,  I  set  the  troops  in  motion,  in 

1  A.  G.  p.  M.,  Provineias  Internas,  Tomo  23.  Certified  official  copy. 
The  upper  right  hand  corner  of  the  manuscript  is  torn  off.  Where 
possible  the  missing'  words  have  been  conjectured  and  enclosed  in 
brackets. 

2  Palou  says  about  two  in  the  afternoon. 


410     THE  SAN  PEANCISCO  COLONY 

charge  of  my  sergeant,  since  it  was  not  possible  for 
me  to  start  that  day,  because  I  still  had  to  load  on 
the  packet  boat  of  his  Majesty,  the  San  Carlos,  some 
of  the  provisions  which  he  was  sending  for  the  port 
of  San  Francisco.  Notwithstanding  this,  since  the 
ofi&cers  Don  Francisco  Quiros  and  Don  Diego  Cho- 
quez,  captains  of  the  vessels,  and  the  rest  of  the 
officers  who  were  anchored  here,  wished  to  accom- 
pany the  soldiers  for  a  short  distance,^  I  could  not 
do  less  than  do  the  same  myself,  both  in  order  to 
accompany  the  officials  as  well  as  to  give  a  send-off 
to  the  reverend  fathers.  Fray  Francisco  Palou  and 
Fray  Pedro  Cambon,  ministers  who  set  out  destined 
for  that  administration.  I  decided  that  this  first 
march  should  be  only  as  far  as  the  Eio  de  Monterrey, 
and  I  so  ordered  my  sergeant  when  about  half  a 
league  from  this  presidio,  whence  I  returned  with 
the  officers,  except  Don  Fernando  Quiros  and  the 
father  chaplains  of  his  bark,  who  wished  to  be  with 
the  soldiers,  all  of  whom  were  destined  to  accompany 
the  father  ministers. 

The  next  day,  having  now  finished  the  loading  of 
the  provisions,  I  decided  to  set  out  about  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  to  overtake  the  soldiers,  whom  I 
joined  at  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  at 
the  camp  in  the  Canada  de  San  Benito.  From  here 
at  seven  o  'clock  in  the  morning  we  went  forward  on 
our  road,  and  crossed  the  Arroyo  del  Pajaro  and 
that  of  San  Bernardino. 

1  Palou  says  they  went  about  half  a  league. 


MORAGA'S  ACCOUNT  411 

In  the  valley  of  the  latter^  there  appeared  before 
us  a  herd  of  elk  to  the  number  of  eleven,  of  which 
we  got  three  without  leaving  our  road.  This  merci- 
ful act  of  the  infinite  providence  of  the  Most  High 
is  noteworthy,  for  the  soldiers  were  by  now  tired  out 
by  the  difficulties  of  the  road  and  weak  on  account 
of  the  customary  fare,  consisting  only  of  maize 
and  frijoles,  on  which  they  were  being  fed,  a  reason 
why  the  women  with  continuous  sighs  were  now 
making  known  their  great  dissatisfaction.  But  this 
refreshment  of  meat  appearing  before  us,  and  we 
being  able  with  such  ease  to  take  advantage  of  it, 
the  soldiers  not  only  were  revived  with  such  a  plenty 
of  food,  but  they  were  also  delighted  with  the  pros- 
pect of  the  abundance  of  these  animals  which  the 
country  promised.  And  it  is  certain,  most  Excellent 
Sir,  that  these  elk  are  of  such  size  and  have  such 
savory  flesh  that  neither  in  quantity  nor  in  quality 
need  they  envy  the  best  beef.  Their  height,  which  I 
measured,  is  seven  palms.  The  length  of  the  body 
is  two  varas  and  a  half,  and  the  horns  are  seven 
palms  long,  so  that  seen  with  such  a  crown  of 
antlers  they  present  a  very  agreeable  picture.  I 
noticed  that  [above]  each  eye  they  have  a  hole  re- 
sembling the  eye  itself.  .  .  .  This  day  at  one  in  the 
afternoon  we  camped  on  the  Arroyo  de  las  Llagas^ 
de  Nuestro  Padre  de  San  Francisco,  having  experi- 
enced that  it  was  so  hot  that  the  families  suffered 
great  discomfort,  a  thing  which  caused  us  surprise 

1  SaJi  Bernardino  Valley  is  now  Gilroy  Valley. 

2  Still  called  Las  Llagas. 


412     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

in  view  of  the  experience  which  we  have  had  of  the 
coldness  of  this  climate. 

I  intended  on  the  20th  to  continue  my  journey  in 
order  to  arrive  as  soon  as  possible  at  the  destination, 
but  a  woman  who  was  enceinte  having  become  ill  and 
I  having  permitted  the  soldiers  to  take  some  rest 
from  their  previous  fatigues,  I  was  obliged  to  defer 
going  forward  until  the  next  day.  And  it  was  im- 
possible for  me  to  set  forth  on  that  day  either,  be- 
cause in  the  morning  the  woman  was  worse,  and  we 
did  not  set  out  from  the  Arroyo  de  las  Llagas  until 
the  22d,  about  seven  o  ^clock  in  the  morning. 

We  traveled  this  day  without  incident  until  a 
quarter  past  eleven  in  the  morning,  when  we  camped 
at  the  site  called  the  San  Juan  Baptist  a,  from  which 
we  set  forth  at  half  past  seven  in  the  morning  of  the 
23d,  halting  at  a  quarter  to  twelve  on  the  Arroyo  de 
San  Josef  Cupertino.^ 

On  the  24th  we  started  at  a  quarter  to  seven  in 
the  morning,  and  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we 
camped  at  the  Arroyo  de  San  Matheo.^  At  this  place 
I  remained  during  the  25th  and  26th,  the  first  day 
because  one  of  the  soldiers  was  taken  ill,  and  the 
second  because  it  seemed  to  me  appropriate  to  go 
ahead  to  find  out  if  there  was  water  at  the  port,  fear- 
ful lest  it  might  not  be  the  same  as  in  the  arroyos 
[early  in]  April  of  this  present  year  [at  the  time  of] 
the  exploration  made  by  Lieutenant-colonel  Don 
Juan  Baptista  de  Ansa.    At  that  time  they  were  run- 

1  Apparently  Calabasas  Creek.         2  San  Mateo  Creek. 


MORAGA'S  ACCOUNT  413 

ning,  but  at  present  we  have  found  them  with  very 
little  or  no  water.  For  this  purpose,  with  four  sol- 
diers I  went  to  the  port,  which  I  found  not  only 
abundantly  supplied  with  water,  but  also  endowed 
with  many  fine  qualities,  which  greatly  encouraged 
the  soldiers. 

On  the  27th  at  half  past  six  in  the  morning  I  set 
out  with  the  soldiers  from  the  site  of  San  Matheo, 
and  at  half  past  eleven,  without  any  incident,  we 
camped  at  the  port  of  San  Francisco  and  the  Laguna 
de  los  Dolores.^  This  very  day  I  gave  orders  to  the 
sergeant  to  set  the  soldiers  at  cutting  trees  for  the 
building  of  their  houses,  an  occupation  which  they 
continued  daily,  so  that  when  the  vessel  should  ar- 
rive everything  would  be  prepared,  and  when  on 
consultation  with  Don  Fernando  Quiros  we  should 
decide  on  the  most  suitable  site  for  the  presidio  we 
should  be  ready  to  go  at  once  to  cut  timber  for  its 
erection. 

On  the  29th,  accompanied  by  the  reverend  fathers, 
I  set  out  to  explore  the  sites  of  the  interior  of  this 
port,  and  although  we  went  with  great  care  we  en- 
countered no  more  than  some  small  timber,  service- 
able hardly  for  making  some  incommodious  bar- 
racks. The  bark  was  now  tardy  and  provisions  were 
getting  low,  so  I  ordered  the  sergeant  to  prepare 
four  soldiers,  two  servants,  and  fifteen  mules 
equipped  with  pack  saddles,  so  that  on  the  30th  they 
might  go  to  Monterrey  to  request  some  provisions  of 

1  Where  Mission  Dolores  was  soon  afterward  founded. 


414     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

Don  Fernando  Eibera  and  at  the  same  time  ask  him 
to  supply  me  with  some  goods,  for  the  soldiers  are 
naked  and  the  cold  in  these  days  is  severe,  and  it  is 
a  pity  to  see  all  the  people  shivering,  especially  since 
they  were  raised  in  hot  climates  and  this  being  the 
first  year  in  which  they  have  experienced  the  change 
of  temperature.  For  this  reason  I  am  living  in  fear 
that  such  nakedness  may  bring  upon  us  some  disas- 
trous sickness.  It  was  now  necessary  to  reduce  the 
ration  for  the  soldiers  until  the  bark  should  arrive 
or  the  pack  train  return,  and,  in  order  that  hunger 
might  not  make  the  people  disconsolate,  on  the  same 
day  I  detached  my  sergeant  with  three  soldiers  and 
six  servants  with  the  order  that,  not  sparing  any 
effort  whatever,  he  should  see  if  he  could  capture 
some  elk,  but  although  he  tried  hard  he  was  unable 
to  aid  us  with  this  succor. 

Since  the  purpose  of  this  account  is  only  to  re- 
port to  your  Excellency  the  things  which  merit  some 
further  reflection,  I  will  omit  recounting  for  each 
day  the  common  labors  in  which  for  a  new  founda- 
tion the  men  ought  to  be  employed,  but  I  will  not 
excuse  myself  from  relating  the  exploration  of 
these  lands  which  I  have  made,  in  order  that  your 
Excellency  may  form  an  idea  of  the  country  newly 
rehabilitated,  and  of  what,  according  to  the  explora- 
tion, it  might  offer,  although  it  might  be  years  hence, 
for  the  convenience  of  its  future  inhabitants. 

But  before  relating  these  things  I  will  inform 
your  Excellency  that  on  the  6th  of  August,  about 


MORAGA'S  ACCOUNT  415 

four  in  the  afternoon,  one  of  the  soldiers  assigned 
as  escort  at  the  mission  came  to  me  with  the  news 
that  about  forty  armed  Indians  had  arrived  near  the 
mission.  The  corporal  of  the  guard  made  them  signs 
asking  them  [where  they  were  going]  and  they  gave 
him  to  understand  that  they  were  bound  for  a  ranche- 
ria  [near]  the  mission,  whose  Indians  had  wounded 
one  of  their  companions.  And  so  they  were  plan- 
ning to  avenge  themselves  for  this  grievance.  These 
aggrieved  Indians  were  from  the  Canada  de  San 
Andres,^  but  doubtless  fear  of  our  men  caused  them 
to  withdraw  without  engaging  in  battle,  and  up  to 
the  present  we  have  had  no  news  of  any  other  trouble 
between  them. 

On  the  18th,  about  half  past  eleven  o  'clock  in  the 
morning,  the  packet  boat  of  his  Majesty,  the  San 
Carlos,  cast  anchor  in  this  port  without  other  inci- 
dent than  that  of  having  spent  forty-two  days  com- 
ing from  Monterrey,  a  delay  which  obliged  me  to 
send  the  pack  train  three  times  to  Monterrey  for 
provisions.  It  was  my  plan  to  await  the  bark,  in 
order  that  in  consultation  with  its  captain  I  might 
decide  on  the  site  for  the  presidio  and  indeed  we 
have  had  the  notice  that  it  has  arrived.^  There  has 
arrived  also  the  occasion  to  talk  of  more  than  the 
material  building  of  a  new  fort  and  of  the  imponder- 
able labors  with  which  it  has  scarcely  been  possible 
to  produce  a  sketch  of  the  plan  which  I  made  for 

1  San  Andres  Valley,  still  so-called. 

2  He  refers  to  the  bark  coming  from  Mexico  with  supplies. 


416     THE  SAN  FRANCISCO  COLONY 

this  foundation.  Although  I  have  lacked  artisans, 
I  have  not  on  that  account  omitted  the  greatest  care 
that  the  buildings  should  be  erected  in  the  best  and 
surest  way  permitted  by  such  a  scarcity  of  these 
artisans.  In  fact,  even  the  building  which  I  have 
done  I  confess  I  owe  to  the  aid  which  Don  Fernando 
Quiros  has  given  me  with  the  men  of  his  bark.  The 
place  where  the  fort  is  situated,  although  it  is  not  the 
most  level  in  its  entire  extent,  yet  it  is  one  of  those 
most  protected  from  the  strong  wind  which  prevails 
here  and  one  of  those  nearest  to  the  [harbor].  No 
arroyo  runs  close  to  it,  but  with  a  well  which  I  had 
opened  on  a  slope  very  close  to  the  presidio,  I  dis- 
covered a  spring  sufficient  for  all  necessities  and 
which  would  be  superabundant  even  though  there 
were  a  larger  number  of  families.  Firewood  is 
abundant  and  close  by,  and  not  far  away  there  is  a 
lake  suitable  for  washing  the  clothing. 

With  respect  to  the  number  of  buildings,  their 
disposition  and  measurements,  I  insert  the  accom- 
panying plan,^  in  order  that  by  means  of  it  your 
Excellency  may  get  an  idea,  without  molesting  your 
discreet  attention  with  my  crude  statement.  The 
royal  store  house,  the  church,  and  the  guardhouse, 
might  now  be  secured  with  their  doors,  but  misfor- 
tune wished  that  both  the  carpenter  and  the  black- 
smith should  find  themselves  unable  to  exercise  their 
functions.  And  so  the  little  building  which  has  been 
done  with  timber  has  been  accomplished  by  car- 

1  The  plan  does  not  accompany  the  manuscript. 


MORAGA'S  ACCOUNT  417 

penters  from  on  board,  this  being  the  principal 
reason  why  everything  is  not  finished  and  secure. 

The  mission  of  San  Francisco,  which  was  founded 
at  the  Laguna  and  Arroyo  de  los  Dolores,  a  site  very 
beautiful  and  abundant  in  water,  wood,  and  stone, 
is  now  also  completed,  and  so  handsomely  built  that 
I  can  do  no  less  than  marvel  to  see  in  so  brief  a  time 
erected  in  the  face  of  such  a  shortage  of  men  a  pre- 
sidio and  a  mission  such  as  in  many  years  these 
northern  California  establishments  will  not  have 
seen. 

Now  returning  to  the  explorations  which  I  have 
made  of  these  lands,  in  which  I  was  accompanied  by 
the  reverend  fathers,  toward  the  southeast  I  encoun- 
tered timber  sufficient  to  build  commodious  houses, 
and  I  saw  the  land  to  be  well  pastured  and  able  to 
maintain  a  great  number  of  cattle,  and  to  support 
no  small  plantings  of  the  necessary  grains.  More- 
over, I  saw  that  the  heathen  had  burned  many 
patches,  which  doubtless  would  produce  an  abun- 
dance of  pasturage.  In  the  rest  of  the  explorations 
which  I  have  made  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mission  and 
the  presidio  I  have  found  good  lands,  some  large 
lagoons,  little  arroyos,  and  innumerable  springs  of 
fresh  water  which  are  permanent,  although  the  year 
has  been  so  short  of  rain.  The  Indians  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  the  presidio  and  mission  are  of  such  good 
disposition  that  ever  since  the  day  when  we  arrived 
at  this  destination  they  have  daily  frequented  one 
establishment  and  the  other  with  such  satisfaction 


418     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

on  our  part  that  we  hope  soon  to  see  harvested  the 
fruit  which  so  Catholic  a  breast  as  that  of  your  Ex- 
cellency desires. 

As  soon  as  I  had  partly  finished  the  founding  of 
this  new  establishment  I  arranged  with  Don  Fer- 
nando Quiros  to  start  on  the  23d  of  September  to 
make  an  exploration  of  the  Rio  de  San  Francisco, 
Don  Fernando  going  by  sea  and  I  by  land,  in  order 
to  meet  at  an  appointed  place,  which  was  that  of 
Santa  Angela  Fulgino/  On  that  day  we  set  forth 
about  six  o^clock,  having  arranged  that  Thursday 
the  26th  should  be  our  day  for  meeting,  in  order  that 
together  we  might  make  this  useful  exploration  with 
all  exactitude.  But,  although  Don  Fernando  did  not 
fail  in  what  was  proposed,  I  was  unable  to  see  the 
launch  on  account  of  having  come  out  higher  up.  I 
remained  there  some  time,  thinking  that  he  perhaps, 
having  engaged  in  some  other  exploration,  was  un- 
able to  reach  on  time  the  place  where  I  was. 

It  was  now  very  late  and  my  supplies  were  get- 
ting low,  for  which  reason  I  decided  before  they 
were  [completely]  used  up  to  go  to  explore  the  river^ 
and  seek  a  ford  by  which  to  pass  from  one  side  to 
the  other,  and  at  the  same  time  to  see  if  I  might  dis- 
cover its  source.  Then  an  unusual  thing  happened 
to  me  with  the  Indians  of  those  villages.  It  was  this. 
When  they  saw  me  seeking  a  crossing  over  the  river, 
without  my  asking  them  a  single  thing  they  showed 
me  a  ford  by  which  with  ease  I  was  able  to  pass  from 

1  At  Pacheco,  in  Concord  Valley.         2  The  San  Joaquin  River. 


MORAGA'S  ACCOUNT  419 

one  side  to  the  other,  they  themselves  going  ahead 
of  the  horses  serving  as  guides,  an  action  for  which 
I  thanked  them  and  for  which  I  attempted  to  reward 
them  with  glass  beads,  a  present  much  esteemed  by 
them.  It  is  certain  that  these  and  the  rest  of  the 
Indians  whom  I  encountered  while  my  exploration 
lasted  I  found  affable,  generous,  and  not  at  all  mis- 
trustful of  communication  with  us.  I  spent  sixteen 
days,  and  I  not  only  discovered  many  fords  but  also 
in  some  manner  I  inferred  the  source  of  this  river, 
which  is  not  in  keeping  with  some  ideas  that  have 
been  reported  to  your  Excellency.  At  the  place 
where  I  crossed  the  river  the  first  time  it  must  be 
seventy  varas  wide  and  a  vara  and  a  quarter  deep. 
The  rivers  which  join  with  this  one  are  three  small 
ones,  although  I  saw  that  toward  the  north  others 
may  enter  it.  And  finally  I  saw  that  it  does  not 
prevent  transit  to  New  Mexico. 

All  this.  Most  Excellent  Sir,  I  have  done  without 
orders  from  Captain  Don  Fernando  Ribera,  but  two 
reasons  have  been  sufl&cient  to  oblige  me  to  proceed 
in  this  manner.  In  the  first  place,  I  knew  the  Catho- 
lic fervor  with  which  your  Excellency  looks  upon 
these  establishments  and  that  to  await  in  them  an 
order  which  would  delay  me  would  be  to  run  the  risk 
that  the  just  indignation  of  your  Excellency  might 
attribute  to  lack  of  due  haste  what  was  only  obedi- 
ence. In  the  second  place,  Don  Fernando  de  Eibera 
was  at  the  presidio  of  San  Diego,  and  I  had  too  few 
men  to  send  a  courier  so  far.    And  even  assuming 


420     THE  SAN  FEANCISCO  COLONY 

that  it  should  be  decided  to  send  one,  while  he  was 
going  and  returning  I  would  lose  the  best  opportu- 
nity, which  was  the  aid  of  the  bark,  and  I  would  run 
the  risk  that,  the  rains  beginning,  it  would  not  be 
possible  to  erect  any  building  until  the  following 
year,  which  would  be  most  disappointing  to  the  rev- 
erend fathers  who  spiritually  succor  us  here.  I  pro- 
test. Most  Excellent  Sir,  that  this  my  decision  had  no 
other  purpose  than  to  fulfill  as  soon  as  possible  the 
wishes  of  your  Excellency,  and  that  such  miserable 
heathen  may  have  the  advantage  which  so  Catholic  a 
breast  seeks  for  them,  that  is,  that  without  delay  they 
may  receive  this  spiritual  good  which  your  Excel- 
lency desires  for  them.  If  I  have  done  wrong,  I  hum- 
bly beg  the  charity  of  your  Excellency  to  mitigate 
my  guilt  with  the  sincerity  of  my  intentions.  T  beg 
this  for  the  love  of  God,  to  whose  divine  Majesty  I 
pray  that  in  greatest  prosperity  He  may  spare  the 
life  of  your  Excellency  the  many  years  which  these 
your  humble  soldiers  need  for  their  support. 

Most  Excellent  Sir, 

Senoe  Josef  Joachin  Mokaga. 

To  the  Most  Excellent  Senor  Viceroy,  Frey  Don 
Antonio  Bucareli  y  Ursua. 

I  certify  that  this  is  a  copy  of  the  original.  Mex- 
ico, March  20,  1777. 

Melchor  de  Peramas  (Rubric). 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Acaguechis,  313. 

Agua  Caliente,  28,  31,  32,  42, 
221,  224.    See  San  Bernardino. 

Agua  Dulce.    See  Puerto  Dulce. 

Agua  Escondicla,  106,  166,  243, 
294. 

Agua  Hedionda,  99,  240,  241. 

Agua  Salada,  305,  366. 

Aguaje    Empinado    (Heart 
Tank),  187,  364. 

Aguirre  House,  11,  213. 

Alegria,  174.     See  El  Carrizal. 

Algodones,  48,  176,  314. 

Alhambra,  105. 

Almshouse  Canyon,  131,  262. 

Altar,  El,  presidio,  river,  and 
valley,  189,  190,  315,  316, 
338,  364,  369,  379. 

Amargo,  El  (The  Bitter  Man), 
200. 

Angel  Island.  See  Isla  del 
Angel. 

Antelope,  bridge,  hill,  and  val- 
ley, 34,  72,  223. 

Antioch,  144,  145,  271,  273. 

Anza,  Juan  Bautista  de ;  second 
expedition  to  California,  diary, 
1-200;  preliminaries,  1-5; 
from  Tubac  to  Gila  River, 
6-16;  through  Yuma  country, 
38-51;  from  Colorado  Eiver 
to  San  Gabriel,  52-82;  detour 
to  San  Diego,  83-103;  to 
Monterey,  104-121;  on  San 
Francisco  Peninsula,  122- 
132;  around  the  bay,  133- 
153 ;  return  to  Colorado  Eiver, 


154-184;  from  Yuma  to  Hor- 
casitas,  185-193;  observations 
at  Casa  Grande,  194-200; 
mentioned,  1,  14,  27,  28,  37, 
156,  163,  203,  235,  240,  262, 
291,  293,  294,  298,  300,  305, 
317,  319,  345,  350,  353,  357, 
358,  378-381,  386,  412. 

Apaches,  3,  11,  14,  17,  26,  189, 
191,  192,  209,  213,  219,  306, 
322,  327,  338,  343,  345,  346, 
347,  363,  367,  379;  Apaches 
maize,  321. 

Aquituni,  13,  14,  213. 

Araiza,  Joseph  Maria,  337. 

Aritoac,  27,  220,  221. 

Arivaipia  (Aribaycpia),  189, 
304. 

Arizona,  343.  See  Fimeria 
Alta. 

Arroyo  de  la  Arina  (San  Lo- 
renzo  Creek),   136,   264,  265. 

Arroyo  de  la  Magdalena  (La 
Quema),  83,  236. 

Arroyo  de  las  Llagas,  252,  253, 

259,  411,  412. 

Arroyo  de  los  Alisos  (Los  Osos, 

San  Antonio  Creek),  78,  79, 

168,  170,  234. 
Arroyo    de    los    Dolores.      See 

Dolores. 
Arroyo  de  San  Benito,  253. 
Arroyo  de  San  Francisco   (San 

Francisquito  Creek),  126,  261. 
Arroyo  de  San  Gabriel,  234. 
Arroyo    de    San    Joseph.      See 

Cupertino. 
Arroyo    de    San    Matheo,    126, 

260,  412. 


424 


INDEX 


Arroyo  de   San  Patricio.     See 

San  Patricio. 
Arroyo   de   Santa  Angela  Ful- 

gino  (Walnut  Creek),  269. 
Arroyo     de     Santa     Catarina 

(Catharina),  230,  231,  296. 
Arroyo  de  Sonoitac,  187.     See 

Sonoita. 
Arroyo  del  Carrizal,  187.     See 

El  Carrizal. 
Arroyo    del    Coyote,    135,    150, 

151,  231,  288,  289. 
Arroyo    del    Pajaro    (Paxaro), 

410.     See  Pajaro  River. 
Arroyo      del     Puerto      (Lobos 

Creek),  255,  260. 
Arroyo    del    Trabuco    (Magda- 

lena,  La  Quema),  84. 
Arroyo  Hondo  (Barranca  Seca), 

53. 
Arroyo  Seco,  219. 
Asphalt    mines,    near    Maxwell- 
ton,  110. 
Asuncion   (Asumpcion,  Asump- 

ta),  river,  26,  112,  123,  218, 

246,    354.      See    Salt    Biver, 

Ventura  Biver. 
Atascadero  Creek,  112,   160. 
Ati   (Atil),  El,  352,  369. 
Ayala,  Juan  Bautista,  397. 
Azotado,  Puerto  del,  10,  212. 


Baden  Station,  130. 

Baja  California,  48,  71,  73,  101. 

Baker  Peaks,  34. 

Bamuri,  El,  305. 

Barranca  Seca  (Arroyo  Hondo), 

53,  228,  229. 
Bautista   Canyon,    72,    75,    171, 

195,  232.     See  San  Patricio. 
Baxio,  El,  230. 


Beatty's  Eanch,  65,  68,  231. 
Benicia  Ferry,  268. 
Berkeley,  138. 

Bernasconi  Pass,  76,  170,  295. 
Bethany,   148,  283,   286. 
Blackbird  Valley,  150. 
Blackwater  Slough,  14,  17. 
Boca    del    Puerto    Dulce,    257. 

See  Carquinez  Strait. 
Bodega  Bay,  265,  275,  397. 
Bodega    y    Caudra    (Quadra), 

256,  265,  275. 
Borrego,  valley  and  mountain, 

62,  63,  173,  231. 
Box  Spring  Canyon,  76. 
Brawley,  56. 
Brown's  Ridge,  149. 
Bucareli     y     Ursua,     Antonio 

Maria,  viceroy,  38,  40,  41,  81, 

82,    96,    158,    177,    193,    203, 

226,  323,  409. 
Buchon,  El,  110,  163,  245,  246. 
Buckeye  Lodge,  150. 
Buenavista,  117,  154,  157,  275, 

291. 
Burke's  Station,  28. 
Busanic  (Busanig),  368. 
Byron  Hot  Spring,  148. 


Cabeza  Prieta  Tanks,  187,  364. 
See  Tinajas. 

Caborca,  188,  189,  191,  196,  302, 
304,  315,  316,  322,  326,  327, 
331,  333,  364,  368,  369,  379. 

Cadiz,  meridian  of,  205. 

Cahuilla  Valley,  71,  173. 

Cajuenches,  2,  176,  227,  228, 
229,  300,  325,  329,  339,  340, 
342,  344,  356,  374,  380. 

Calabasas,  creek,  town,  106,  125, 
254,  293,  412. 


INDEX 


425 


Calexico,  229. 

California,    Sierra    Madre    de, 

231,  232,  237. 
Camarillo,  106,  166. 
Cambon,    Fray    Pedro    Benito, 

161,  387,  394,  396,  410. 
Campbell  Creek,  125. 
Canada  de  los  Osos,  151,  288. 
Canada   de   los   Eobles    (Santa 

Clara  Valley),  292. 
Canada  del  Paraiso,  75. 
Candelaria.     See  Tinajas. 
Canizares,  Jose,  392,  395. 
Canoa,  6,  70,  211. 
Carlos,  governor  of  Cocomari- 

copas,  29,  221,  225,  378,  379. 
Carlos  III,  King  of  Spain,  39, 

118,  415. 
Carmel  (Carmelo),  bay,  mission, 

river,  118,  120,  153,  160,  196, 

247-252,   262,   290,   291,   386, 

387,  403. 
Carpinteria.      See    La    Carpin- 

teria,   Ventura. 
Carquinez     Strait     (Boca     del 

Puerto  Dulce),  140,  142,  257, 

265,  395,  398. 
Carrasco,  Fray  Manuel,  368. 
Carrizal,   El,   52,   53,   174,   187, 

188,  303,  366. 
Carrizo,  creek  and  station,  55, 

56,  173,  229. 
Cartagena,      Fray      Eomualdo, 

203. 
Casa  Blanca  (Vah  Ki),  19. 
Casa  Grande,  19,  26,  195,  197, 

198-200,  214,  217,  353. 
Casa  Palma,  346,  356. 
Casey,  174. 
Cemeteries,  126,  254. 
Cerrito     del     Metate      (Santa 

Cecilia),  34,  223. 


Cerro    del    Imposible     (Signal 

Mountain),  54,  229. 
Cerro  de  Tacca,  212,  213. 
Cerro  Prieto,  191,  192. 
Cerros  del  Cajon,  36,  184,  225. 
Channel  of  Santa  Barbara.    See 

Santa  Barbara. 
Charco  de  Gauna,  208. 
Charco  del  Canelo,  207. 
Chemegue  (Chemehuevi),  355. 
Chirumas,  278. 
Choquez,  Diego,  410. 
Chualar,  117. 
Chupisonora,  207. 
Cienega  de  San  Sebastian.     See 

San  Sebastian. 
Cieneguilla  (Cienega),  190,  191, 

305,  360. 
Circumcision,  La,  330. 
Citrus  Canal,  221. 
Clark,  Fred,  71,  72,  173,  232. 
Cocomaricopas,  22,  23,  32,  185, 

221,  313,  341,  355,  356,  357, 

376. 
Cocopah  Mountains,  54,  174. 
Cocopas   (Oucapas),  326,  356. 
Cojats  (Cogats,  Coxas),  48-50, 

176,  226,  227,  325. 
Cojo,   El,   chief,   creek,  valley, 

village,     108,     165,    244-246, 

293. 
College  of  San  Fernando,  394. 
College  of  the  Holy  Cross,  319. 
Collins  Valley,  69. 
Colma,  126,  131,  254,  261. 
Colorado    Eiver,    1,    18,    29-49, 

104,  111,  114,  132,  138,  173- 

184,   210,   224-226,   279,   302, 

314,   331,   332,   344-354,   365, 

369,  379. 
Comari,  13,  14,  213. 
Concepcion,  Puerto  de  la,  176, 

179,  196,  350. 


426 


INDEX 


Concord,   144,   146,  269,  418. 
Conejo  Grade.    See  Cuesta  Em- 

pin  ad  a. 
Conejos,  Puerto  de  los,  207. 
Cornius.     See   Cosninas. 
Corral  Hollow,  150,  286. 
Cosninas,    277-281,    355. 
Coxas,  Laguna  de  los,  176.     See 

Cojats. 
Coxo.     See  Cojo. 
Coyote,  arroyo,   canyon,  river, 

town,  55,  65,  68,  69,  125,  135, 

175,   229,  232. 
Coyote  Water,  187,  305. 
Crane  Ridge,  150,  286,  288. 
Crespi,    Fray    Juan,    138,    251, 

270. 
Crystal   Springs   Lake,    132. 
Cuadra,  Juan  de  la.   See  Bodega 

y  Cuadra  {Quadra). 
Cuesta  Empinada,  La,  106,  112, 

166,  243. 
Cuitoa,  Papago  village,  11,  213. 
Cupertino,    arroyo    (Calabasas 

Creek),  125,  253,  259,  412. 
Cypress  Point,  250. 


Danzantes  (Dancers),  69,  70. 
Dolores,  creek,  laguna,  mission, 

valley,  129,  260,  261,  392,  400, 

413,  417. 
Dome,  184,  225. 


Ehrenberg,  312. 

Eixarch  (Eysarch),  Fray 
Thomas,  diary,  311-381; 
sketch  of  career,  381;  men- 
tioned, 1,  2,  31,  42,  44,  176, 
210,  225,  226,  297,  298,  301, 
302,  305,  381. 


El  Carrizal,  174.     See  Carrizal. 
El  Centro-San  Diego  highway, 

55. 
El  Cojo   (Coxo).     See  Cojo. 
El  Hombre  Amargo,  217. 
El  Portezuelo    (Puertezuelo), 

105. 
El  Eio,   106,  166. 
El  Roble  Caido,  116,  159. 
Enid,  railroad  pass  near,  22. 
Escalante,  Fray  Silvestre  V61ez 

de  277-281. 
Espada  Creek,  La,  109. 
Espinosa,  Father,  369. 


Fages  (Faxes),  Pedro,  72,  138, 

145,  268,  270,  273. 
False  Bay,  237. 
Farallones,  Gulf  of,  392. 
Farras  Ranch,  32,  222. 
Fig    Tree   Spring.      See    Upper 

Willows. 
Figuer,  Fray  Juan,  163. 
Fish  Creek,  56. 

Flores,  Father  Henrique,  206. 
Font,  Fray  Pedro,  Short  Diary, 

201-307;  passim;  as  a  diarist, 

71 ;  carves  on  a  tree,  78 ;  map 

of  Casa  Grande,  21,  215;  cited 

in  footnotes,  passim. 
Font    Room,    at    Casa    Grande, 

216. 
Fort  Point,  390. 
Fortuna  Mine,  330. 
Fort  Yuma,  hill,  Indian  School, 

176,  226,  295. 
Francisco,    Indian    alcalde,    29, 

221. 
Francisco,  rebel  chief,  90,  183. 
Frente  Ncgra,  La,  10. 
Fruitvale  Creek,  136. 


INDEX 


427 


Gabilan  Eange,   123. 

Galchedunes.     See  Jalcliedunes, 

Garces,  Fray  Francisco,  1,  8, 
19,  24,  28,  29,  44,  45,  68,  177, 
210,  211,  225-228,  298-303, 
311,  319,  326,  380. 

Genizaros,   322. 

Gila  Bend,  219. 

Gila  Pimas  (Gilenos),  29,  215, 
217,  354.  See  Gila  Biver, 
Pimas. 

Gila  Range,  36,  37,  184,  305. 

Gila  River,  9-45,  176,  181,  184, 
185,  213-225,  302-305,  313, 
332,  343,  347,  348,  352,  353, 
354,  376,  379. 

Gilroy  Hot  Springs,  151,  288. 

Gilroy  Valley.  See  San  Ber- 
nardino. 

Glendale,  105,  167,  243. 

Golden  Gate,  137,  254.  See  San 
Francisco  Bay. 

Goleta,  107. 

Gorgoll,  Fray  Juan,  352,  381. 

Grape  Arbor,  106. 

Greenfield,  116. 

Grijalva  (Grixalva) ,  Juan  Pablo, 
1,  385. 

Guadalupe  Lake,  110,  163. 

Guadalupe  River,  133,  134,  139, 
262-265. 

Guambtit,  El,  canyon  of,  209. 

Guanajuato,  288. 

Gulf  of  California,  50,  182. 

H 

Harina  (Arina),  Arroyo  de  la. 

See  San  Lorenzo. 
Harper's    Well,    56,    173,    229, 

295. 


Heart  Tank.     See  Aguaje  Em- 

pinado. 
Hemet,  75. 

Heteh  Hetchy  power  plant,  149. 
Holtville,   174. 
Hopis.     See  Moqiiis. 
Horcasitas,  70.     See  Sa/n,  Miguel. 
Horse  Canyon,  71. 

I 

Imperial  Valley,  49,  52-60,  172- 

175,  296. 
Indian  School,  Fort  Yuma,  176. 
Indians,  uprising  at  San  Diego, 

83-103,  235-240.     See  names 

of  various  tribes. 
Isla  del  Angel  (Angel  Island), 

257. 
Islais  Creek,  131,  261. 


Jabapays,  363.     See  Yavapais. 
Jalchedunes,  45,  224,  227,  298, 

312,  313,  323,  327,  328,  341, 

342,  347,  355,  356,  363,  371, 

374,  380. 
Jalliquamay,  tribe,  326,  356. 
Jamaja,    tribe,    298,    355,    357, 

362,  380.     See  Mohaves. 
Janissaries,  322. 
Jatapana,  356. 
Jaume     (Jayme),    Fray    Luis, 

murder  of  at  San  Diego,  39, 

80. 
Jecuiches,  56. 
Jenigueches,  75. 
Jolon  Road,  116,  291. 
Juan,  Jorge,  scientist,  205. 
Juturitucan    (Juturitucam), 

Pima  village,  17,  19. 


428 


INDEX 


Kane  Spring,  56,  174. 

Kent  Canyon  (Canon  del  Roble 

Caido),  116,  159,  250. 
King  City,  116,  159,  250,  291. 
King  Well,  113,  247. 
Kino,  Eusebio  Francisco,  8,  200. 
Knightsen,  148,  283. 


La    Canada    de    San   Barnabe. 

See  San  Bernabe. 
La  Carpinteria,   165,   243,   244. 
La  Cuesta.     See  Cuesia  Empi- 

nada. 
La  Enearnacion.     See  Sutaqui- 

SOTl. 

La  Espada.    See  Espada  Creek. 
La  Frente  Negra,  212,  213. 
Laguna  del  Cojat.    See  Cojats. 
Laguna    del    Hospital,    21,    22, 

219,  220. 
Laguna    de   los   Dolores.      See 

Dolores. 
Laguna   del   Principe,    72,   171, 

173. 
Laguna    de    San    Antonio    de 

Bucareli.      See  San  Antonio 

Bucareli. 
Laguna  de   Santa  Olaya.     See 

Santa  Olaya. 
Laguna  Graciosa,  109,  110,  163, 

245,  246,  293. 
Laguna    Larga    (Guadalupe 

Lake),   110,   163. 
Laguna  Salada   (Salobre),  36, 

185,  224,  225,  302,  303. 
Lagunas    de    Oytaparts.      See 

Oytaparts. 
Lake  Merced,  127,  130. 
Lake  Merritt,  137. 
Lakeview,  76,  170. 


La  Laguna,  214,  217. 

La  Mesa,  191,  193. 

Language,   313,   345,   380. 

La  Palma,  207. 

La  Quema  (Arroyo  de  la  Mag- 

dalena),    83,    236,    237,    241. 
La  Rinconada,  village,  243,  244. 
Las  Chollas,  village,  183. 
Las  Lagunas,  20,  21,  209. 
Las  Llagas,  123,  411. 
La  Soledad,  valley  and  village 

of,  84,  95,  236,  239. 
Las   Virgenes   Creek,   106,   166, 

243,  293. 
Latitudes,  194. 
La  Tortuga,  191,  192. 
Laverne,  79. 

Livermore,  149,  286,  398. 
Llagas    Creek,    123,    125,    253, 

411. 
Llano,  El,  306,  307. 
Llano  del  Azotado,  11. 
Llano    de    los    Robles    (Santa 

Clara  Valley),  253,  259,  261, 

275. 
Llano  del  Tuzal,  303. 
Llano  Grande,  8. 
Lobos  Creek,  255. 
Lomas  de  las  Tuzas,  286. 
Los  Alisos,  Arroyo   de,  234. 
Los  Angeles    (Porciuncula) 

River,  105,  243,  293. 
Los  Cerritos,  37,  225,  306. 
Los  Correos,  117,  248,  250. 
Los  Llorones   (Mission  Bay) 

389. 
Los  Ositos  (Ossitos),  117,  248, 

250. 
Los  Ossos,  168. 
Los  Pcdernales,  109. 
Lower  Willows  (Reed's  Springs), 

68,    173.      See   Santa   Oatha- 

rina. 


INDEX 


429 


M 

Madera,  133. 

Mange,  Juan  Matheo,  200. 

Manning,  Howell,  6. 

March  Field,  76. 

Mare  Island,  mapped  by  Font, 
141,   267. 

Maricopa   Mountains,   22,   219. 

Maricopa  Wells,  20. 

Martinez,  142. 

Mass,  6,  11,  12,  124,  217,  235, 
315,  316,  317. 

Maxwellton,   110,   112,   163. 

Mendocino,  Cape,  397. 

Merced.     See  Lake  Merced. 

Mescal  Island.    See  Mescaltitdn. 

Mescaltitan  (Mexcaltitan),  107, 
108,  165,  244,  293,  294. 

Mesquite  Drill  Hole,  56. 

Mexicali,  54,  55. 

Mexico,  118,  119,  139,  157,  177, 
182,  193,  239,  277,  300,  319, 
344,  394,  415. 

Middle  Willows,  69. 

Midway,  149,  286. 

Mills  College,  137. 

Mission  Bay  (Los  Llorones), 
389,  396. 

Mission  Pass,  398. 

Mohaves,  298.  See  Jamajd, 
Soyopa. 

Mohawk  Peak,  32,  223. 

Mojave  Desert,  298,  351,  355. 

Monterey,  presidio  and  port, 
72,  80,  81,  92,  93,  94,  97,  98, 
104,  105,  118,  120,  121,  122, 
131,  135,  148,  151,  153,  155, 
157,  167,  203,  235,  240,  241, 
242,  249,  250,  260,  277,  281, 
286,  290,  292,  318,  350,  374, 
380,  385,  386,  387,  388,  391, 
392,  409,  410,  413,  415. 


Monterey  Eiver  (Salinas),  112, 
117,  152,  154,  160,  246,  248, 
252,  289,  291,  292,  388. 

Moquis  (Moquinos),  277,  278, 
298,  343,  355.     See  Hopis. 

Moraga,  Joseph  Joachin,  1,  60, 
82,  96,  104,  105,  114-122,  153, 
156,  161,  385,  386,  387,  395, 
398,   409-420. 

Mountain  Lake,  126,  127,  128, 
131,  254,  261. 

Mountain  View,   133. 

Mt.  Eubidoux,  76,  233. 

Mt.   Rudolph,   75,   76. 

Mt.  St.  Helena,  141. 

N 

Nacimiento,    ranch    and    river, 

113,   160. 
Nanaxi,  tribe,  219. 
Nance  Canyon,  71,  232. 
Natividad,   La,    123,   252,   253. 
Naviska,  11. 
Needles,  The,  351. 
Newbury  Park,  106. 
New  Mexico,  271,  277,  281,  299, 

322. 
New  Eiver,  229. 
Niforas,  2,  322. 
Nocedal,  Father,  392,  394. 
Nogales  Wash,  209. 
North  Pacific,  394. 
Norton,  Arizona,  32. 
Nottbusch's  Well,  30,  222. 


Oak  Grove  Cemetery,  145,  273. 

Oakland,  138. 

Oakley,  148,  283. 

Oatman's  Flat,  27,  221. 

O 'Conor,  Hugo,  376. 

Oit  Par,  Pima  village,  11. 

Olive,  83,  100,  237,  241. 


430 


INDEX 


Olleyquotequiebe.     See  Palma. 

O'Neill  Hills,  187. 

Ontario,  78,  234. 

Opas,  23,  32,  33,  219,  220,  221. 

Opasoitac  (Opasoitar,  Oparsoi- 

tac,  Uparsoitae),  23,  24,  26, 

27,  32,  219,  220. 
Oquitoa,  316,  333,  352,  369. 
Oraibe  (Oraybe),  277,  298. 
Orcasitas,  207.     See  Horcasitas. 
Oso  Flaco  Lake,  110. 
Oytaparts,  Pima  village,  lagoons, 

11,  212. 


Pacheco,  142,  144,  268,  269, 
418. 

Page,  Captain,  9. 

Painted    Eock    Mountains,    27. 

Pajaro  Eiver,  123,  152,  253, 
289,  410. 

Palma,  Salvador  (Olleyquote- 
quiebe), Yuma  chief,  29-48, 
177,  178,  184,  222-226,  297, 
311,  314,  317,  335,  340,  350, 
360-378,  379. 

Palo  Alto,  126,  133,  134,  254, 
263. 

Palomas,  30. 

Palou,  Fray  Francisco,  89,  124, 
125,  127,  130,  131,  251,  383- 
405,  410. 

Papagos,  23,  189,  190,  213,  338, 
352,  364,  366. 

Papagueria,   10,   302,  304,   305. 

Paradise  Valley  (San  Jacinto), 
75. 

Paredones  Eiver,  52,  229. 

Pascualitos,  53,  229. 

Paso  Eobles,  113. 

Pass  of  the  Cocomaricopas. 
See  Puerto  de  los  Maricopas. 

Patterson  Pass,  149,  286. 


Pedley,  78,  170. 

Pena,  Fray  Tomas  de  la,  394. 

Permanente  Creek,  133. 

Pescadero,  32. 

Pescadero    Dam,    49,    52,    174, 

176,  227,  295. 
Petaluma,  397. 
Piatos   (Pimas  Altos),  306. 
Picacho  Peak  (Picacho  de 

Tacca),  13. 
Pie    del   Sauce    (Foot    of   Wil- 
low), 68,  231,  296. 
Pilot  Knob,  48,  176,  227,  314, 

329. 
Pima  Butte,  20.     See  Laguna 

del  Hospital. 
Pimas,  2,  10,  11,  12,  14,  18,  19, 

20,  25,  29,  306,  314,  352,  379. 
Pimeria  Alta,  194,  375,  379. 
Pismo,  110,  246. 
Plaster  City,  54,  55,  229  . 
Pleyto,  159. 
Point    Concepcion.      See   Punta 

de  la  Concepcion. 
Point  Lobos,  127. 
Point  of  Pines.     See  Punta  de 

Pinos. 
Point  Eeyes,  392.   See  Punta  de 

Beyes. 
Porciuncula  Eiver,  105, 167,  243, 

294. 
Portezuelo,  105. 
Portola's  trail,  72. 
Posa  de  los  Ositos,  116. 
Pozo    de    Chrysanto,    El,    193, 

306. 
Pozo  de  las  Angustias,  53. 
Pozo  de  San  Gregorio,  230. 
Pozos  de   en  Medio,   187,   188, 

303. 
Pozos  de  la  Alegria  (Wells  of 

Joy),  52. 


INDEX 


431 


Pozos  del  Carrizal  (Pozos  de  la 

Alegria),    53,    228,    229,   248, 

296. 
Pozos  de  Santa  Rosa,  296. 
Price  Canyon,  110. 
Primer  Vado   (first  ford),  247. 
Principe,  El,  vessel,  388. 
Prunedale  School,  151. 
Puertecitos,  Los,  62. 
Puertezuelo,  El,  243. 
Puerto   Anegado    (False  Bay), 

237. 
Puerto  Blanco,  187,  188,  303. 
Puerto  de  Bodega,  256. 
Puerto   del  Azotado,   212,  213. 
Puerto    de    la    Concepcion,    44, 

45,    48,    196,    280,    297,    299, 

301,  324,  325. 
Puerto  del  Carmelo,  250. 
Puerto  de  los  Cocomaricopas,  22. 
Puerto  de  los  Conejos,  208. 
Puerto  de  los  Osos,  79. 
Puerto  de   San  Carlos,   71,   72, 

116,  172,  232,  234,  274. 
Puerto    Dulce     (Suisun    Bay), 

257,  263-274. 
Punta  de  Almejas  (San  Pedro 

Point),  255,  259,  261. 
Punta  de  Ano  Nuevo,  249,  250. 
Punta  de  Arenas,  256. 
Punta  de  Cipreses   (Cypress 

Point),  250. 
Punta  de  la  Concepcion  (Point 

Concepcion),   108,   245,   246. 
Punta  del  Cordon,  256. 
Punta  de  Los  Llanos,  211. 
Punta  de  Murguia,  256. 
Punta  de  Pinos (Point  of  Pines), 

249,  250. 
Punta  de  Reyes  (Point  Reyes), 

255,  256. 


Quema,  La  (Trabuco),  99. 
Queretaro,  College  of  the  Holy 

Cross  of,  1,  319. 
Quiros,  Don  Fernando,  388,  392, 

393,  395,  400,  410-418. 
Quitobac,  187,  304,  305,  366. 


Rancheria  del  Co  jo  (Coxo),  108, 

246,  293. 
Rancherias  del  Cojat,  297. 
Rancho  Guadalupe  y  Llanetos 

de  los  Correos,  117. 
Real  de  la  Cienguilla,  190,  305, 

306. 
Reed's    Springs,    68,    173,    175, 

231,  295. 
Revilla,  Cristobal,  392. 
Reynolds  Well,  36,  305. 
Richmond,   138. 
Rillito,  10. 
Rinconada,    La    (Aritoac),    27, 

29. 
Rincon  Creek,  244. 
Rincon  Point,  107,  244. 
Rio    de    la    Assumpcion    (Salt 

River),  354. 
Rio   de   la   Asumpta    (Ventura 

River),  107,  244,  294. 
Rio  de  las  Abejas,  49. 
Rio   de   Monterey    (Salinas 

River),  274. 
Rio    de    San    Francisco     (San 

Joaquin    River),    73,    81,   92, 

138,  257. 
Rio    Grande    de    los    Misterios 

(Colorado   River),    278,    279, 

280. 
Rio  Verde,  343. 


432 


INDEX 


Eiver    of    Monterey.      See 
Salinas  Eiver. 

Rivera  y  Moncada,  Fernando, 
73,  78,  80,  81,  91,  94,  97,  104, 
105,  116,  121,  127,  130,  131, 
153-170,  183,  235,  238,  239, 
240,  254,  290,  291,  292,  293, 
294,  385,  388,  399,  414,  418. 

Riverside,  295. 

Roble  Caido,  116,  159. 

Rocky  Point,  165. 

Rodeo  Creek,  138,  265. 

Rosario,  El,  52. 

Rubidoux  Moun- 

Russell  Valley,  106. 


Sacate   Station,  21. 
Sackett's  Well,  55. 
Sahuarito,   8,   211. 
Saint   Francis   Mission,   21. 
Saint  Francis  of  Asisi,  6,  206, 

388,  394,  399,  411. 
Saint  Helena,  Mt.,  141. 
Saint  Michael  (San  Miguel),  6, 

206. 
Saint  Paul  (San  Pablo),  389. 
Saint  Peter   (San  Pedro),  389. 
Salinas,  river  and  valley,  112, 

117,  154,  253,  291. 
Salt,  33. 
Salt    River     (La    Assumpcion, 

Rio  Salado),  26,  218,  354. 
San  Andres,    lake   and    valley, 

130,  131,  260,  261,  262,  415. 
San    Antonio   Creek,    170,    234, 

293. 
San  Antonio  de  Eucareli  (San 

Jacinto  Lake),  75,  76,  102. 
San  Antonio  de  la  Huerta,  191. 
San  Antonio  Mission,  113,  114, 

116,  117,  136,  146,  147,  156, 


159,  196,  247,  248,  250,  275, 
291,  292. 

San  Antonio  River,  113,  114, 
247,  292. 

San  Antonio  Valley,  150,  151, 
288. 

San  Benito,  arroyo  and  valley, 
123,  152,  253,  410. 

San  Bernabe  (Kent  Canyon), 
159,  291,  292. 

San  Bernardino  (Gilroy  Val- 
ley), 123,  124,  126,  253,  274, 
289,  410,  411. 

San  Bernardino  del  Agua  Cali- 
ente,  28,  29,  30,  31,  221,  355. 
See  Agua  Caliente. 

San  Bernardino  Range,  72,  298. 

San  Bias,  120,  386,  401. 

San  Bruno,  254,  258. 

San  Buenaventura  River  (Rio 
de  la  Assumpta),  165,  244. 

San  Carlos,  bark,  257,  386,  390, 
391,  410,  415. 

San  Carlos,  feast  of,  218. 

San  Carlos  del  Carmelo.  See 
Carmel. 

San  Carlos  Pass.  See  Puerto 
de  San  Carlos. 

San  Diego,  on  Gila  River,  26, 
220. 

San  Diego,  mission  and  pre- 
sidio, 64,  104,  105,  111,  115, 
116,  153,  155,  156,  161,  169, 
175,  183,  196,  235,  236,  237, 
240,  290,  386,  391,  392;  up- 
rising, 77-102,  235-240. 

San  Dieguillo  (San  Dieguito), 
84,  99,  236,  237. 

San  Dimas,   79. 

San  Eduardo.     See  Arivaipa. 

San  Felipe  Creek,  56,  63,  173, 
229.  231. 


INDEX 


433 


San  Fernando  de  Mexico,  Col- 
lege of,  170,  394. 

San  Fernando  Valley,  106. 

San  Francisco  (San  Francis- 
quito  Creek),  arroyo,  125, 
126,  133,   134,  253,  259,  262. 

San  Francisco,  bay,  mission, 
presidio,  92,  93,  94,  96,  98, 
120,  121,  122,  125,  126,  127, 
129,  131,  132,  136,  137,  154, 
157,  158,  167,  170,  183,  196, 
203,  251,  252,  254,  256,  259, 
266,  275,  289,  290,  383-420. 

San  Francisco  River  (San  Joa- 
quin), 133,  138,  148,  153,  168, 
172,  193,  263,  395,  399,  418. 

San  Gabriel,  mission  and  river, 
72,  77,  78,  79,  82,  87,  92,  93, 
97,  100,  114,  115,  153,  154, 
161,  162,  165,  167,  168,  169, 
175,  195,  234,  235,  241,  242, 
248,  274,  291,  293,  294,  295, 
298,  355,  385. 

San  Gregorio,  57,  63,  64,  65,  66, 
172,  173,  231. 

San  Ildefonso  (Yldephonso), 
188,  189. 

San  Jacinto,  river  and  valley. 
See  San  Joseph. 

San  Joaquin,  river  and  valley, 
72,  276,  298,  355,  398,  418. 

San  Jose  Mission,  135. 

San  Joseph,  125.  See  Cuper- 
tino. 

San  Joseph  (San  Jacinto), 
river  and  valley,  74,  75,  76, 
170,  171,  175,  233,  295. 

San  Juan  Bautista  Mission, 
123,  253. 

San  Juan  Capistrano  de  Uturi- 
tuc,  217. 

San  Juan  Capistrano  Mission, 
83,  84,  87,  237. 


San     Juan     Capistrano     River 

(San  Luis  Rey),  84,  236,  237, 
San   Juan    de    Mata    (Matha), 

188. 
San   Leandro,   creek   and  bay, 

136. 
San   Lorenzo   Creek,    136,   265. 

See  Harina. 
San    Luis,    village    near    San 

Diego,  95,  238,  239. 
San  Luis  de  Quitobac,  366. 
San  Luis   Obispo   Mission,   72, 

111,  112,  147,  160,  162,  163, 

165,  196,  245,  246,  247,  274, 

275,  281,  285,  287,  293. 
San  Luis  Rey  River,  84,  237. 
San  Marcelo  de  Sonoytac,  303. 

See  Sonoita. 
San  Marcos  Creek,  113. 
San   Martin    (on   Gila   River), 

26,  220. 
San    Mateo    (Matheo)     Creek, 

126,  129,  131,  132,  253,  258, 

260,  261,  262,  402,  413. 
San  Miguel  de  Horcasitas  (Or- 

casitas),  3,  4,  25,  38,  70,  191, 

193,  196,  207,  300,  302,  307, 

360. 
San  Pablo,   peak   and   village, 

47,  48,  226,  227,  346. 
San  Pasqual,  Cerro  de  (Mohawk 

Peak),  32,  34,  195,  222,  223. 
San  Pasqual,  valley,  151,  152. 
San    Patricio     (Bautista    Can- 
yon),   72,    74,    75,    171,    195, 

232,  233,  295. 
San  Ricardo,  145,  146,  148. 
San  Sebastian,  52,  55,  56,  57, 

62,  64,  66,  116,  172,  173,  174, 

195,  229,  230,  296. 
San  Simon  y  Judas  de  Upasoi- 

tac,  23,  31,  219.     See  Opasoi- 

tac. 


434 


INDEX 


Santa  Ana,  Sonora,  194,  208. 
Santa   Ana   Eiver,   76,   77,   83, 

99,   169,   170,   233,   234,   235, 

241,  295. 
Santa  Angela  de  Fulgino  (Wal- 
nut Creek),  142,  148,  418. 
Santa  Barbara,  channel  and  vil- 
lage   site,    97,    107-109,    138, 

164-166,   243,   244,   293,   294, 

402. 
Santa  Catarina  (Catharina),  64, 

66,  172,  175,  231. 
Santa  Cecilia    (Antelope  Hill), 

34,  195,  223. 
Santa    Clara    Eiver,    106,    166, 

243. 
Santa  Cruz  Eiver,  6,  352. 
Santa  Delfina   (Salinas),  river 

and  valley,  252,  274. 
Santa  Fe,  277. 

Santa  Lucia,  Sierra  de,  246. 
Santa    Margarita,    arroyo    and 

valley,  112, 160,  246,  247,  292. 
Santa  Maria  Madalena   (Mag- 

dalena)  Mission,  208. 
Santa  Maria  Magdalena,  arroyo 

de,  236. 
Santa   Olaya    (Ollala),   49,    51, 

52,  60,  114,  174, 183,  195,  227, 

228,  248,  296,  297. 
Santa  Eosa  de  las  Lajas,  53,  55, 

58,  64,  228,  229. 
Santa  Eosa  Mountains,  59. 
Santa  Eosa  Eiver,  109,  164,  165, 

245,  246. 
Santa  Teresa  Hills,  125. 
Santa  Ynez  Eiver  (Santa  Eosa), 

165,  246,  293. 
Santiago,  ship,  394. 
San  Vicente,  valley,  286,  288. 
San  Xavier   del  Bac,   mission, 

7,  8,  9,  12,  205,  210,  211,  212, 

298. 


San  Ygnacio,  mission,  194,  208, 
209. 

San  Yldephonzo,  189,  304,  305. 

Saratoga,  125,  254. 

Sawtooth   Mountain,   11. 

Sea  of  the  West,  280. 

Sebastian  Taraval,  312,  326, 
335,  337,  338,  349,  350,  355, 
356,  357,  380. 

Selby,  140,  142. 

Seris,  306. 

Serra,  Fray  Junlpero,  249. 

SIbuta,  El,  209. 

Sierra  del  Chasco  (Mt.  Hamil- 
ton Eange),  150,  151. 

Sierra  de  San  Geronimo  (Coco- 
pah  Eange),  54. 

Sierra  de  San  Pablo  (Pilot 
Knob),  329,  335. 

Sierra  de  San  Pasqual  (Mo- 
hawk  Eange),   195. 

Sierra  de  Santa  Lucia,  112,  246, 
247,   248,   250,   251. 

Sierra  Estrella,  22,  218,  219. 

Sierra  Madre  de  California,  54, 
231,  232,  237,  274. 

Sierra  Nevada,  148,  234,  268, 
271,  274,  276,  280,  282,  283, 
284,   285,   286,   287. 

Sierra  Pinta,  187,  364. 

Signal  Mountain.  See  Cerro  del 
Imposible. 

Sinaloa,  380. 

Soledad  Valley,  near  San  Diego, 
84,  236. 

Sonoita  (Sonoytac),  mission 
and  river,  187,  188,  305,  352, 
366. 

Sorrento,  84,  237. 

Southern  Pacific  Eailroad,  76, 
78,  105,  110,  112,  135,  207. 

Soyopas  (Mohaves),  351. 

Spreckels,  117,  154. 


INDEX 


435 


S.  S.  Grade  (Blackbird  Valley), 

150,  288. 
Stevens  Creek,  133. 
Sugar  Loaf  Mountain,  123. 
Sulphur  Creek,  150. 
Sulphur  Spring  Canyon,  116. 
Superstition  Mountain,  56. 
Surf,  109. 
Sutaquison  (Zutaquison),  19,  26, 

213,  218,  353. 
Sweetwater,  17. 
Sycamore   Canyon,  76. 


Tacca,  Picacho  de.     See  Cerro 

de  Tacca. 
Tajiguas  Creek,  108,  244. 
Tardeadas,  divided  marches,  9. 
Technical  High  School,  Oakland, 

137. 
Tecolote,  El,  192,  306. 
Terrenate,  presidio,  4. 
Texas  Hill,  32,  222. 
Tierra  Caliente,  73,  139. 
Tinaja,  La,  365. 
Tinajas  Altas,  187. 
Tinajas    Altas    Pass,    186,    330, 

331,  364. 
Tinajas   de  la  Candelaria,  186, 

187,  303,  364.   See  Candelaria. 
Tomascavas,  278. 
Tormey,  140,  265. 
Tosca,  Father  Thomas  Vicente, 

206. 
Trabuco,   arroyo,   236. 
Tubac,  presidio,  2,  3,  4,  6,  9,  41, 

70,    118,    124,    132,    142,    148, 

193,   195,  210,  322,  338,  381. 
Tubutama,  337,  349,  369. 
Tucson  (Tuquison),  9,  10,  195, 

211,  212. 


Tule  Canyon,  71. 

Tule  Range,  187. 

Tule  Well,  187. 

Tumacacori,   mission,   210,   305, 

311. 
Tututac    (Tucson    Mountains), 

10. 
Tuzal,  Llano  del,  303. 
Twin  Buttes,  8. 

U 

Upasoitac.     See  Opasoitac. 
Upper  Willows   (Fig  Tree 

Spring),  69,  232. 
Ures,  mission,  204,  307. 
Urrea,  Bernardo   de,   316,  333. 
Utah  Basin,  entered  by  Esca- 

lante  in  1776,  277. 
Uturitue,  17,  213,    214,  217. 


Vado,  El  (The  Ford),  65,  207. 
Vado  de  los  Sauces,  9. 
Vah  Ki  (Casa  Blanca),  19. 
Valle  de  San  Joseph    (San 

Jacinto  Valley),  75. 
Valle  de  Santa  Ana,  76. 
Valle  de  San  Vicente,  288. 
Vallevista,  75. 
Ventura,  river  and  village,  107, 

165,  293.     See  Asuncion,  Car- 

pinteria. 
Verde  River,  354. 
Virgin  of  Guadalupe,  The,  24, 

206,  329,  344. 
Viscaino,  Sebastian,  250. 

W 

Walnut    Creek,    142,    268.      See 
Santa  Angela  de  Fulgino. 


436 


INDEX 


Watermelon  Wash,  22,  219. 
Weaver  Well,  10,  213. 
Wellton,  34,  185. 
Westmoreland,  174. 
White   Pass    (Puerto    Blanco), 

305. 
Willow  Pass,  144,  146,  269,  271. 
Wymola  Station,  13. 


Ymuris,  209. 

Yuha  Well    (Santa  Eosa),   54, 

229. 
Yuma  Indian  School,  344. 
Yumas,  2,  23,  29-32,  36,  38-51, 

174-184,    224-228,   280,   298- 

302,  309-381. 


Yaquis,  280. 

Yavapais    (Yabipays),   2,    343, 
346,  347,  355,  363,  379. 


Zaeatal  Duro,  303,  304. 

Zanjon,  El,  306. 

Zuni,  in  New  Mexico,  277.